"Honor me in this way"

WEST CHESTER, Ohio (AP) -- The mother of a Marine killed in Iraq urged mourners Wednesday not to let their anger and sadness turn them against the U.S. fight in Iraq.

"Honor me in this way," Kathy Dyer said during a memorial service for Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer, 19, of the Cincinnati suburb of Evendale.

At the funeral at Tri-County Baptist Church, Kathy Dyer delivered what she believed would have been her son's own message: "It has been with the greatest pride I have served ... fighting to preserve freedom."

She said he would want mourners to continue supporting the troops in the war against terrorism.

That's one thing we can thank the media and Cindy Sheehan for, it's now become the battle of the grieving parent. It's not as if things were bad enough for those who had lost a loved one, now they are immediately expected to pick a "side" so that the political games on both sides can be played.

While it's really nice for Crawford Peace House that they've raised over $100,000 (probably more as of today) since Cindy went to Crawford and they can pay off their mortgage and have over $50,000 left, there are military families and other families struggling right now. The government doesn't do much to help them and the media and politicians ignore their pleas for help. I know what it's like to struggle and I also know the lack of resources out there.

So, just like it bothers me when I read about mayoral candidates raising with ease over $500,000 when the majority of Social Services organizations in this area can't help people because they don't have enough funds? Finding out that Cindy has become a profit maker for the Peace House doesn't sit well with me either.