This is in response to Owen Trainor’s letter, “Fourth inaccuracies continue for another year.” It seems as though Mr. Trainor has an annual urge to submit letters full of sarcastic criticisms regarding the Bristol Fourth of July Committee and some of its events and traditions.

Perhaps the time and effort that is spent putting such criticisms in print each year could be better spent in a more productive manner.

The Fourth of July Committee is always looking for new members who are passionate and willing to give up countless hours of their own time in the spirit of the Fourth. Personal time, commitment, dedication and hard work usually result in positive change. Stating opinions and expressing criticisms, and then sending them off to the newspaper, doesn’t require a whole lot of effort.

It’s quite easy for one to put words on paper, but it isn’t so easy to regularly attend meetings and events and exert countless hours of hard physical work in order to make change. If Mr. Trainor is passionate enough to annually express his criticisms in writing, then I suggest he join the committee and put his passion into action.

And yes, perhaps Mr. Trainor should “keep his eyes on that grand old flag” and remember what it represents, rather than criticize hundreds of volunteers who work tirelessly to honor our grand old flag throughout the entire year.

Elisabeth Ridder
Bristol