Memorial Day should be an easy holiday to honor. We don’t have to buy presents, because those we are honoring have died. Restaurants don’t have to offer a free meal, and car dealers don’t need to offer an extra $2,000. off of the MSRP. Walmart can even skip their 30% off on everything during Memorial Day Weekend Sale.

All we need to do is hang up a flag, or maybe put a sign on your business door that says you are honoring the men and women that this country has lost. Thank goodness for the groups in town that did hang flags, that did hold ceremonies in a local cemetery, or just talked with friends and family about what it is that we are “celebrating.”

Each year it seem like there are fewer and fewer flags hanging. Our country cannot afford to forget this holiday. We can do better Chico.

— Gary Allwardt, Chico

— Editor’s note: Every Sunday, we will select one letter from the previous seven days as our “Letter of the Week.” We’re choosing the letter that, in our view, stands as the best example of civil, thoughtful and fact-based commentary with extra points given on occasion for originality.