Month: August 2014

A New Perspective

/ Linda DeLay Wallace / Leave a comment

Last weekend I rode the Ducks in Branson, Missouri. For those of you who are familiar with Branson, the Duck Tour is one of the most popular tourist attractions there. It is fun, and a treat to hear the Captains of the amphibious vehicles as they guide you on the tour.

As we took in the area around Branson, we drove up up Bear Mountain. Partially up the mountain there is a rock clearing with old military vehicles. While driving through the site a narrative plays, explaining which war the vehicle was used in and the primary role of each of the vehicles. We saw tanks, Jeeps, and a various assortment of vehicles.

ambulanceI have been on the Duck tour before, but this time it took on a special significance to me and I saw it from a new perspective. That was because my brother-in-law, Steve, is a Vietnam veteran, and he and my sister were with me on the tour. Steve was a medic in Vietnam and served mostly on the front line with the ground troops. They generally used helicopters to evacuate wounded soldiers, but as we approached the ambulance, he noted it was the type of ambulance they used in other areas. Continue reading →

What Happened in Ferguson?

/ Linda DeLay Wallace / 1 Comment

My husband grew up in Ferguson, Missouri. We were married in Ferguson. We still have friends who live and serve in Ferguson, who are trying to make a difference in the city around them.  And it breaks my heart to see what has been happening since the shooting death of Michael Brown. Finger pointing, rioting, tears, and heartbreak.

For anyone who has lived in the St. Louis area, they must come to the recognition that it is steeped in racism and misunderstandings, on both sides–white and black.  The issues are complex and run deep.  There are no quick fixes or easy answers.  Poverty, lack of moral guidance, drugs, and violence all feed into a feeling of helplessness for some in the black community.

I talked to a young black woman today who was appalled by the riots and the violence demonstrated last night. Her words were, “Don’t they realize they are destroying the very businesses that have stayed in their community?”  I doubt that they thought that through. There is something about a mob mentality that doesn’t lend itself to logic and commonsense. Continue reading →