Patriotic discussion

I find I have been misquoted in the May 18 Sun Journal article “Veterans and supporters hold peaceful protest in honor of flag.”

The flag rally May 17, in front of the Farmington Post Office, took place on the same day as the University of Maine at Farmington graduation. The issue at hand was the controversial American flag project at UMF a month ago.

I received a number of e-mails, calls and letters, but not “hundreds.”

I also said I could appreciate veterans holding a rally to show appreciation for the flag.

Lastly, it was not a current UMF student who said he would not go back to UMF in the fall, but a person contemplating attending who now would go elsewhere.

UMF is a great experience for higher learning, and the “flag” incident brought out the patriotic values that Maine citizens hold dear to heart. It turned into an emotional event, and I expect it was a real learning experience for the people at UMF.

I, for one, would not avoid attending UMF because of that incident. I would become part of the discussion concerning patriotic values.

Sen. Walter R. Gooley, Farmington