To the editor:

Don’t get me wrong; I thoroughly enjoy fireworks displays. But when did the amount of money a city spends on its July 4 display become the measure of its patriotism? Here’s an idea: How about if we forego our usual fireworks display every July 4 until all of our troops have been brought home, and instead send the money we would have sent up in smoke to buy new body and vehicle armor for troops from the Lawrence area who are serving in Iraq?

The first July 4 that our troops are all out of Iraq and back home, we’ll have the biggest, wildest fireworks display this city has ever seen! Perhaps we’ll even have the great pleasure of hosting as guests some elected officials from the new Democratic Iraq. The tears of patriotism you’d see in my eyes on that day would not be due to the smoke in the air.

Tom Hoffman,

Lawrence