Griffin speaks at American Legion
American Legion members received a call to action to encourage a healthy respect for the military among youth by Arkansas’ lieutenant governor.
Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin discussed the need to raise children to respect soldiers during the local American Legion’s monthly meeting Tuesday night.
Griffin, who is serving in the U.S. Army Reserves, said he has been present at several Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day services where he has caught himself scanning the crowd to find young faces.
He described the joy he would feel seeing young people in the crowd, but noted he also had cause for concern. He said he wondered what would become of services and monuments like the ones he attended after his generation is gone and whether future generations would still honor the military in the same way as today.
“There is no guarantee that we will still have ceremonies like this in 100 years,” Griffin said. “I have hope for the future but how can we ensure that our next generation will continue to honor our military?”
Griffin said people should encourage young people to participate in memorial events and ceremonies.
He said if a parent or grandparent takes an hour out of their time to pay attention at a memorial service, it would go a long way to leading children by example.
“What a difference it would make to a child if they saw their parents put down the cellphone they are are so attached to and pay their respects to the American solider,” Griffin said.
Griffin said he believes children follow the ideals from the world around them. If parents take the time to show a child how they should respect the military, he said, then the child will too.
He said American Legion members should get children involved in their organization and told members that
watching them interacting and showing each other respect would go a long way to showing children how they should treat soldiers.
Griffin noted such examples would bring a resurgence of membership in groups like the American Legion.