Cumberland Advocate: Letters

To the Editor

Just before Memorial Day, I, in respect for my relatives that have passed away, took three arrangements out to Lakeside Cemetery here in Cumberland. They each consisted of a shepherd’s hook, macrame hanger, and the floral arrangement in a pot. Two of them were pink in color, and one was purple in color. I have a picture of one of the arrangements.

I put the floral arrangements out at the cemetery to beautify the grave sites. I should have the right to have them there until I choose to take them away. I put them in a place that wouldn’t interfere with any ground care. There are several shepherd’s hooks out there right now, that were put out in a similar manner, and they are still there.

The problem I am having is that all of the arrangements have been stolen. I wouldn’t be writing this letter if this was the first year that it has happened. There have been a couple of other years when the same thing has happened, at the same grave sites. Two of the arrangements went missing shortly after Memorial Day, and the last one was taken sometime in June. Where is the Golden Rule applied here? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

I should have the right to have flowers out in the cemetery until I choose to take them away myself. However, some person or persons have taken it upon themselves to take them off the grave sites for their own purpose. Should I follow this example and take something that doesn’t belong to me, just because I may like it? I don’t think so. I would never even think of doing such a thing. What did I ever do to deserve this kind of treatment? I wish more people would take my example and leave things where they belong. The arrangements were not yours for the taking.

I certainly hope whomever did this used them for a good purpose and didn’t just take them to take them and throw them away. Your conscience should really be bothering you, but then again, if you have to steal things from a cemetery, then maybe you don’t have a conscience at all and following the Golden Rule is not something that you do.

Ellen Bergmann

Cumberland

The Cumberland Advocate welcomes letters to the editor, 500 words or less, on subjects of interest to our readers, however, the choice of any material is at the discretion of the editor. Letters endorsing or criticizing candidates for elected office will not be published two weeks prior to the election.

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