To the Editor:

Thank you for the coverage of the Greek Independence parades! I have heard some people criticizing our Greek parades lately and I think it is their right to express their opinions, but it is also a wonderful thing to see these celebrations of Hellenic history and heritage in the diaspora communities around the world. It unites us in a special way when we see what we have in common, how we hold our language, customs, and traditions in spite of living so far away from the homeland and even second and third generations continuing to feel this connection and this need to express their identity as Hellenes.

If we seem to Greeks in Greece to be waving flags because we support a nationalist agenda, that is not necessarily the case. We have opinions about politics as diverse as any other community even if the most extreme views are the ones expressed most loudly. My own opinion is that you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. We have a lot to be proud of as a community, but we’re often too busy fighting amongst ourselves to notice.

Bobby Stylianides

Denver, CO