jrmartinez.com

*** I’m a firm believer that politics should be kept out of our military and that our military should be kept out of politics. You recently told a crowd of your supporters, upon receiving a replica Purple Heart, that you’d, “always wanted to get the Purple Heart. When I first joined the military, like many other service members, I had dreams of serving valiantly and one day receiving many military accolades in service of our great nation. You say that you support our military, but your actions tell a different story.

She told herself that if she could just earn enough money to pay for her 2 year old Anabel’s wheelchair and medicine, then earn $1000 more to help her return to El Salvador and open her own store, Anabel wouldn’t have to crawl on the ground as she grew and learned to cope with her disability, and she could pay for Anabel’s medicine, for Consuelo’s schooling, for doctor’s appointments. My beautiful, bright four year old daughter Belle, named for Anabel, the sister I never met, was able to recognize the American flag as something that belonged to us. I hope that the daughter I’m raising; the bright four year old American citizen of Salvadorian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and African American descent, will remember that although there may be many other Larrys in this country, there are also many other Belles in this country. The flag she pointed out as we drove across that bridge just a few days ago is the same flag the hardworking immigrants raised above the Brooklyn Bridge after years of constructing it.