We Support Our Troops.... MORE THAN YOU DO!

Ever heard of the Gold Star Mothers? They are a national organization (which is sadly much too large) with only one membership requirement: you have to be the mother of a member of the armed forces who has died in combat. It's a sad premise, but they provide support for other mothers who have lost children in war. Well... unless you're a foreigner.

Everyone agrees that Ligaya Lagman is a Gold Star mother, part of the long line of mournful women whose sons or daughters gave their lives for their country.

Her 27-year-old son, Army Staff Sgt. Anthony Lagman, was killed last year in Afghanistan when his unit came under fire during a mission to drive out remnants of Taliban and al-Qaida forces.

But the largest organization of these women, the American Gold Star Mothers Inc., has rejected Lagman, a Filipino, for membership because -- though a permanent resident and a taxpayer -- she is not a U.S. citizen.

Sounds like some sort of obscure rule which could readily be changed to me. I bet all we need to do is ask their national president to look into the matter, and we'll have it all sorted out shortly.

"There's nothing we can do because that's what our organization says: You have to be an American citizen," national President Ann Herd said Thursday. "We can't go changing the rules every time the wind blows."

There's a lovely sentiment for you. You can, should you wish, contact these wonderful, patriotic people via e-mail at their web site which I linked above.