Members of the American Gold Star Mothers, an organization for women who have lost children in military conflicts, voted Monday to allow non-citizens to join- after denying a Yonkers woman a month ago.
American Gold Star Mothers, a group of about 1,200 mothers, was criticized after denying membership to a Philippines woman whose son was killed in Afghanistan. Although Ligaya Lagman is a legal resident of Yonkers and her son was a U.S. citizen, the group's charter prevented non-citizen mothers from joining.
Politicians urged the group to change its rules, and some of the organization's past members supported the change.
What I found offensive was how the group's board previously voted not to change the rules. After that vote, former organization president Ann Herd added insult to injury by saying, "[t]here's nothing we can do because that's what our organization says: You have to be an American citizen...[w]e can't go changing the rules every time the wind blows."
Ms. Herd doesn't seem to know the difference between can't and won't. Callously dismissing a mother's sacrifice is the last thing I expected from this group of mothers who, more than anyone, should understand the depth of her loss.
By definition, Ligaya Lagman is a Gold Star mother because her son was killed in war. That she's one step away from being a full-fledged citizen shouldn't have been the deciding factor for membership.
Non-citizen soldiers have been serving in the U.S. military for decades. Almost 150 of them have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. If Ligaya Lagman's son was deemed worthy enough to give his life for this country, then his mother's sacrifice should be deemed worthy enough for this organization.
It's disappointing that political pressure had to be applied for American Gold Star Mothers to change its rules, especially since their motto is "perpetuating the noble principles for which they [the soldiers] fought and died".
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