According to Globalsecurity.org, a public policy organization, more than 4,000 American service members have died and more than 30,000 were wounded as a result of the Iraq war. The tally of Iraqi casualties ranges from 95,000 to more than 100,000, according to the U.K.-based Iraq Body Count project.

After Obama declares the end of the U.S. combat mission, about 50,000 American troops will remain in Iraq as advisers and to assist the Iraqi authorities with counterterrorism activities. Those Americans are expected to leave the country by the end of 2011.

Here is what several St. Louisans, contacted through the Beacon’s Public Insight Network, are saying about the situation.

Peggy Kruse, of Florissant, retired Defense Department contract auditor: “I’m glad it’s coming to an end. But then, it’s not really over, is it? The whole thing has been frustrating. There’s a lot of bad people doing bad things in a lot of places. The United States can’t solve all the world’s problems.

“I don’t see that anything was gained. I know we were keeping Saddam Hussein contained, but for everything that was lost — the antiquities, the lives — I just don’t know. It sounds like it could be over, but we still find reasons to hang around. We never let go of anything. Hopefully it will be peaceful for everybody. For the people there to have normal lives would be wonderful.”

Joe Pritchard, of Fenton, musician and Army Vietnam veteran: “I think it’s a good thing,” that the U.S. is ending its combat role. “It’s all terribly complex. There were no easy answers for President Obama. He’s going to catch it from both sides, no matter what he does.

“You hoped that he would get out as soon as possible. There’s a mixture of consequences. And now, as soon as we get out, if everything falls apart, we are left with a black eye for all our kids who died over there. But if we stayed any longer, it would just be throwing good money after bad, plus losing more lives.

“I can’t figure out what has happened with regard to all the corporate involvement. There were a lot of private companies like Halliburton involved, and the contractors were getting paid so much more than our soldiers. (President George W.) Bush was irresponsible in letting the corporate interests decide what was important.”

Sandy MacLean, of Clayton, retired vice chancellor for student affairs, University of Missouri, St. Louis: “We probably should not have gotten in there in the first place. It is naive that we would think we could make the world safe for democracy. I was 100 percent supportive of Bush’s initiative, but looking back now, I think it was a mistake.

“Obama is not living up to his campaign promise. He said he would get out, but people thought he would get out sooner and totally and have no more troops there at all. I think the liberals are more disappointed with him than I am. I do hope that (the Iraqi people) get their government together and get it functioning. Democracy is tough. I’m not confident that they can put it together.”

Bob Zangas of Manchester, owner, All Metro Home Health, Army veteran: “We should have been out of Iraq long ago. The human cost for the U.S. and the people of Iraq was not worth it. The financial cost was astronomical. In my opinion, very little was accomplished. The war is not over, but the people of Iraq will have to work it out themselves.

“We got rid of Saddam, so that is something that was gained. But our reason for going in was because of the weapons of mass destruction; however, those were never found. If we had not gone into Iraq and had put our resources in to Afghanistan after 9/11, we might have gotten Osama bin Laden, who is a real direct threat to the people of the United States.

“The price paid by Americans and Iraqis was much too high. (Now) the Iraqis are going to have to work out their country’s future for themselves. We should provide humanitarian aid. If any peacekeeping is needed, then the United Nations should get involved.

“The United States should face the fact that the volunteer Army program is not working because we don’t have enough manpower for the missions we are taking on. When you have people going back again and again and serving multiple deployments to a combat zone, you are definitely understaffed, and we wonder why the suicide rate is up among military people. When you don’t have enough manpower to do the mission you take on, you should seriously consider instituting a draft.

“If the whole population of our country was involved in supplying manpower, our leadership might not be so quick to commit troops to places like Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, if a majority of our Congress and Senate had served in the military, they would have a better idea of what kind of a sacrifice they are asking our military to make.”

Regarding Afghanistan, “I think we should get out. It is not worth one more American life. We should have committed to Afghanistan right after 9/11. Now it is too late. I would like to know what we hope to accomplish by being there. Whatever we hope to accomplish there is not worth the cost in American lives and finance.”

Amanda Boettcher, of Creve Coeur, Webster University graduate student, studying international relations: “I am very happy that our combat mission is ending in the region. While some troops leaving Iraq are now going to the Afghanistan/Pakistan war, it is a step in the right direction at least to be ending one of our wars in the Middle East.

“The end of the combat mission in Iraq does not seem like an end, but a new chapter of U.S. involvement in the region. The U.S. is keeping 50,000 people in the region as ‘security forces’ and doubling the military contractors in the region. While I am very happy that our combat mission is over, I do not believe that we can truly say it is truly an end to the war.

“Iraq will be able to form a stable coalition government. It took many years for the United States to become the United States. We need to give the Iraq government time to make mistakes. The only way the people of Iraq will begin working with the government is when they believe that it is truly Iraqi, and not U.S.

The war in Afghanistan “is a very different war. It can only be won if the U.S. can change public perception of the U.S. and our intentions in the Middle East. The best thing the U.S. can do is continue building friendships with the citizens of Afghanistan and hope that that will translate into less public favor for Al-Qaeda.”

Cynthia J. Bauer, of Florissant, receptionist for the AARP Foundation: “I had mixed feelings when I initially heard the announcement. My heart went out to all of the Iraqis who want a more democratic or self-determined government, and more freedom, effective justice, better education for women, a better economic future, and anyone who worked for the U.S. government or military there at risk to themselves or their families.

“I hope that those who served our country, there, will receive any and all needed services required to help them to regain their places in the U.S.

“President Obama deliberately created a comprehensive position paper regarding the wars in Iraq and Afganistan, as a candidate, prior to taking office. He was somewhat well informed as a candidate, but, I believe his actions also represent a realistic and pragmatic response to what he has learned, since taking office, from his commanders and advisors, about the conditions under which U.S. troops have been serving, and in regard to what the current economic conditions are at home.

“I hope that we will not force those recently serving in Iraq to return to combat in Afghanistan. … I hope U.S. citizens will recognize that the warlords can buy a lot of food for their people, instead of growing it themselves, with the money they are making by poisoning and destroying U.S. and European and Asian and African and South American citizens with drugs. … I think that the Russians learned the hard way that the Afghanistan population does not take kindly to being invaded, and the terrain does not lend itself to winning hearts and minds, any more than the jungles of Vietnam did.

“I have met some very well educated Iraqi women and men who came in for employment services. … I know that my ancestors prior to my parent’s generation were not born in the United States. I think we need to do a better job of educating our entire population, myself included, about other cultures and countries.”

As I listened I learned that safety is not so simple when you’re an immigrant – for me I would quickly dial 9-1-1 or holler for the police. But it is more complicated when you don’t speak English and don’t understand the rules and customs of the United States. Immigrants also bring a lot of fear with them as they leave behind the sounds of war plus everything else that is familiar. They often don’t know whom to trust for help.

Listen in on these conversations: Public Insight sources, Rodney a block captain in South City and Lisa a St. Louis educator, plus Dwan Speed the police officer. You might be surprised at what you hear and next time maybe you can “reach out and help someone”.

Given that the St. Louis area has the highest number of bicycle-related accidents in Missouri and that St. Charles County is considering banning bicycles on certain highways, how can St. Louis be touted as a great destination for cyclists?

“Cyclists from other cities come here and can’t believe how much nicer motorists are than those in other cities,” said Patty Vinyard, executive director of the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation .

That’s despite the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s crash map . It shows that the St. Louis area — defined as St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles — accounts for 102 of the state’s 236 reported accidents involving cyclists in 2010.

The high number of reported accidents is actually a testament to the area’s good cyclist education and support system, Vinyard said. According to Vinyard, more accidents are reported in St. Louis because advocacy groups such as her regional bicycle federation and the state-wide Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation encourage documenting accidents. Both organizations promote safe and legal cycling.“Many bike accidents go unreported in other places,” Vinyard said. “More people here are likely to report because of these local advocacy groups.”

While one has to have a lot of background to see the high number of reported accidents as a sign that St. Louis is a great area for cycling, the League of American Bicyclists has been much clearer. The league awarded the city of St. Louis a bronze level rating in its annual Bicycle Friendly Community campaign. Only three Missouri cities — St. Louis, Columbia and Springfield — qualified for any rating. Springfield also received a bronze, while Columbia attained a silver rating.

The league looks at engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation. St. Louis received stars in education and enforcement. The campaign also examines what cities have done to promote cycling.

The league views St. Louis as a very accessible city, citing bike lanes on 30 percent of the city’s roads with more are on the way thanks to programs like Complete Streets. The league was also impressed with Bike St. Louis Phase II, which added 57 miles to the on-street system in the city and into St. Louis County.

In addition to the city’s efforts to become more bike friendly, the league lauded St. Louis for participation in National Bike to Work Day and for hosting races like Gateway Cup and Tour de Soulard.

“Overall, the area is pretty good for cyclists,” Vinyard said.

‘An Expression of Freedom’

In response to recent questions through the Beacon’s Public Insight Network, several cyclists echoed Vinyard and the League of American Bicyclist’s sentiments and even demonstrated the safe and legal attitude the league and local organizations expound.

“I have had to take trips to the western edge of St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and parts of Madison County,” Alissa Nelson, a graduate student at Washington University said. “Aside from just the mileage aspect, it’s nice to spend a few hours in less-populated areas with clear air and some shade. The cyclists I ride with are all aware that there will be cars on the road and ride accordingly, with a sense of awareness of our surroundings. Fortunately, most drivers will also give cyclists that same courtesy.”

Although the area has made efforts to put bike lanes in, Nelson said the lanes are not a necessary precaution.

“I don’t think that bike lanes should be a prerequisite for cycling on any road,” she said. “However, I do value their existence on major thoroughfares, and support the addition of bike lanes on those major streets whenever possible.”

Washington University fundraiser Alex Ihnen (right) does not care for the bike lanes in any capacity and would rather see smart cyclists on the roads instead of lanes.”Personally, I do not like bike lanes,” Ihnen said. “To me it says that bicycles only belong inside a bike lane and only on streets with bike lanes painted. This isn’t the law and shouldn’t be the impression.

“Bicycles are an expression of freedom and a wonderful way to exercise and explore. All cyclists should be cautious and aware of their skills and road and traffic conditions at all times.”

Most of those who responded to the questions opposed St. Charles’ proposed ban on bicycles, which would prohibit cyclists on Highways DD, D, F, Z and 94 from Interstate 64 (U.S. Highway 40) to the county line until shoulders or bicycle lanes are in place. A few cyclist who responded to the questions had experienced major incidents on rural roads in St. Charles.

One of them was Alex Peper, an automotive computer diagnostics and pollution control employee for Car Code. Peper was in a coma for four days after being hit by a truck in the historic St. Charles area. He suffered permanent nerve, ear and eye damage.

Despite his injuries, Peper still finds his experiences on rural highways very enjoyable and opposes a bike ban.

Bicyclists pay road taxes, and bikes “have rights, too,” Peper said.

Sharing the Roadway

While many St. Louis cyclists are happy with the area’s cycling freedoms, several motorists expressed concerns about sharing the road and feel that cyclists take too many liberties.

“In earlier times, bicyclists got onto the grassy or rocky portion beside the roadway when they heard or saw a car coming on the roadway,” said Anna Jackson (right), a retired public school teacher from St. Charles. “More recently, I feel bicyclists look back at you with a look that says ‘I have as many or more rights than you on this road. Just try to get around me.’

“It dismays me that cyclists share the roads but do not follow the rules and laws of the road. They often run stop signs, fail to yield to pedestrians, and do not signal for stops or turns.”

Jackson also said that she supports the St. Charles bike ban and would like to see traffic laws enforced on cyclists.

John Hartfield is more concerned with safety than the law when it comes to cyclists.

“These people endanger themselves and impede traffic whatever kind of road it is,” said Hartfield, a database developer from Florissant. “This isn’t Europe or Asia. Virtually no one uses bicycles for transportation. There are a multitude of off-road choices for people to work out or take a ride.”

Hartfield has had several incidents with cyclists on urban and rural streets and feels that efforts like Complete Streets have put bike lanes in places where cycling is limited.

“They painted bike lanes down Goodfellow in north city but nobody rides there,” he said. “I drive through the central corridor Lindell, Olive, Delmar, Delmar Loop and people ride even when there is no room for bikes.”

Rather than have bike lanes on roads, Hartfield feels there should be a harsher policy for cyclists.

“Cyclists should be banned on any road where speed limit is greater than 20 miles-per-hour,” he said.

What’s Next for St. Charles

According to Vinyard, many leaders in the cycling community have met with St. Charles councilmember and bike ban proposer Joe Brazil to discuss alternatives to the ban. Brazil could not be reached for comment.

“We want to help the council understand that they have alternatives,” said Vinyard.

The bill was tabled July 12 and is scheduled to be discussed again Aug. 9. Vinyard said Brazil was very supportive of an alternative and open to ideas.

The Homeland project is about hearing what our community has to say about immigration, and to get the community talking about immigration issues. To that end we decided to see what would happen if we invited a few members of our community to sit down and tell us what was on their minds about immigration, with a camera rolling.

So, five St. Louis area residents recently got together to discuss immigration at Schlafly’s Tap Room in downtown St. Louis. The Homeland team found some of them from KETC’s Public Insight Network, from an online discussion, and from our work in the community. Here is what the group had to say about the media’s portrayal of immigration issues.

The group includes: Jasha McQueen Gadberry, John Beidle, Rob Scharfenburg, Catherine Nolan and Tiffany Sonnier.

Language is interesting. We use it to communicate our needs and wants. We use it to tell people we like them (or not like them!). We use it to discuss our ideas and tell jokes and bond with friends. We use it to disagree with one another. Possibilities are endless with language.

But what if you can’t communicate because there are no common words. How do we feel when we are strangers in a strange country and cannot speak the native language? Should we try to learn the language in the countries we visit or move to or that our neighbor speaks? Talk to an immigrant, talk to a traveler, talk to a neighbor who comes from different parts of the globe and you might get some answers.

PIN source Mark Burgess answered a PIN query on language and his thoughts hit home. “Communications can only be improved, and understanding deepened, when we learn to speak the same language as our neighbors. We can appreciate their culture, and their way of thinking about the world from their language.  Being able to speak their language gives you an opportunity to really meet and get to know them, since it is through language that culture is expressed.” I liked that a lot and his thinking led me to really appreciate what the next query responder, Anthony Dolce had to say.

It is best to tell the story as Anthony told it. “Beginning in the late 1980′s, as Yugoslavia fell apart, I began reading a lot about the Balkans. St. Louis became a new home for many Bosnians. Around 2003 I began exploring the various new Bosnian restaurants, bakeries and other places. I was aware of a place, Cafe Palermo but never went there. It is a bar and coffee shop. (Best coffee in the WORLD.)”

“One night in May 2005, two friends and I went to the cafe. As we walked in EVERYONE looked at us. The bartender turned the music down. I went to the bar and said, ‘You don’t need to turn that down on our part’, and ordered. A week later another friend and I went there. Same bartender, I ordered. A week later another friend and I went and this time I ordered in Bosnian. What a surprise look came over the bartender’s face. He corrected my pronunciation and I thanked him.”

“Now, 5 years later, I am a regular there. I’ve become a good friend with the owner and his son. I have been working on Bosnian and know about 700 words and 200 phrases. Many in the bar greet me when I arrive. Again, the fact that I have tried to learn their language has opened up many chances and opportunities that had I not done that; would not be. Now, I go to the bar for coffee and “Slivovica” and the owner always buys me a drink. I have taken probably 50 different people there over time and they are always welcomed warmly. The owner has shared roasted lamb on special occasions. We exchange plants and gardening information.”

For me that said it all – language can lead to understanding and in the end friendship!

When HOK was having trouble attracting potential mid-level employees two years ago, the architecture firm didn’t set up booths in job fairs or advertise in the classified section. Instead of using these more traditional recruiting tools, the company connected with job candidates through social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn .

With the guidance of the University of Virginia’s business program, HOK established an online presence that not only attracted applicants, but involved employees from every part of the world.

“It was edgy,” said Mike Plotnick, a member of the corporate communications team at HOK. “We wanted to lift the veil on HOK and show what the company really is.”

According to Plotnick, the firm’s social media outfit fulfilled its initial hiring objective and now aims to connect with customers and showcase architects within the company. Roughly 40 HOK employees have regularly updated blogs that detail what it’s like to work for the international firm.

Plotnick said that many people play a role in designing buildings, but rarely get the attention the lead designer sees. With employee blogs, customers and potential employees can get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how buildings are designed.

“We’re turning it on its head,” Plotnick said of the architecture industry’s media relations. “The blog is an opportunity to showcase and give people at all levels a voice and a venue for sharing what they do here and what inspires them.”

While social media gives HOK a new voice and a different avenue to reach job candidates, they also allow the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter to integrate itself further into the community.

“We want to make sure the community knows us before they need us,” said Lindsey Weber, the marketing and communication associate for the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter .

In addition to raising awareness for the chapter, social networking helps the Red Cross create a dialogue with the community and develop a “human” quality that identifies the chapter as something more than a non-profit organization. To achieve this quality, the Red Cross’ Facebook , blog and Twitter do not just present preparedness tips or details on the next blood drive.

“Back in May, our CEO took some time out from her schedule to plant some flowers for the entrance to our office,” Weber said. “After seeing what she was doing, we posted her picture on Facebook and Twitter, and it overwhelmingly became one of our most ‘liked’ posts. While planting flowers doesn’t directly correlate to our work, it shows our supporters that behind the Red Cross are real people who do real things.”

With the Red Cross and HOK focusing their social media campaigns on external relations — potential hires, clients or the community — SSM Health Care uses social media to build togetherness within the company.

“After seeing hospitals use social media, I thought we better get involved,” said Chris Sutton, corporate communications manager at SSM. “Not just externally, but internally too.”

In an effort to build company camaraderie, the health-care company sponsored a hand-washing video contest for its employees. According to Sutton, the entries garnered 18,000 views on YouTube and sparked conversation around the company’s offices.

“Social media have been great for company morale and employee engagement,” said Sutton.

While social media cater to aspects of corporate culture like morale building, hiring and community relations, they also help companies conduct business. According to St. Louis Integration founder Keith Aumiller, social networking can serve as a free and quick way to build business relationships and market products.

Social media are “a great way to maintain and establish business connections,” Aumiller said. “For consumer products, they act as a cheap commercial avenue and testing forum for new ads.”

Aumiller’s company helps businesses build their internet presence. St. Louis Integration’s customers include MasterCard, Boeing, Edward Jones and Express Scripts. According to Aumiller, social media allow his company to generate leads, identify people, develop potential customers and stay in touch with past customers.

“It’s good for getting the word out quickly to a large number of people,” said Aumiller, adding that social media are his company’s industry.

Social media’s quick and far-reaching voice has yielded results for its local users. Sutton said SSM’s main website has experienced more traffic as a result of its Facebook and Twitter efforts. According to Plotnick, HOK has a lead on a building in Los Angeles, thanks to a comment left on an architect’s blog.

Social networking was also crucial for the Red Cross during the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti.

“During the response to Haiti’s earthquake, we witnessed social media become a platform not only to receive, but to provide assistance to those who needed it,” said Weber. “We firmly believe that during times of local disasters, social media’s role will be amplified.”

Weber said that for social media to be effective, a company must use them correctly. Posts must be timely, accurate and reliable. Holding the customers’ attention is also a must.

“Social media are like fishing,” Weber said. “You have to select the right lure if you plan to reel in any fish.”

For Aumiller, the right lure for any business is consistency and dedication to social media. He said an all-or-nothing approach is the only way to treat the new innovation.

“If you aren’t going to use it fully, and stay engaged, don’t get into it at all,” Aumiller said. “There is nothing worse than starting a conversation and walking away from it.”

Last week we spoke with Mike Holdinghaus who was the Social Studies Coordinator for Kirkwood School District (K-12). Mike retired at the end of this school year. He spoke with us about the “listening sessions” he organized for the purpose of curriculum revision.

Mike arranged for district parents from different ethnic backgrounds, many from the English for Speakers of Another Language (ESOL) Center, to come together with teachers and speak about the social studies program.

Mike spoke with such emotion as he described the parents; some who did not speak English well, talking to teachers and community members about their experiences in American schools. “The courage they showed brought tears to many eyes.”

The ESOL teacher, Amy Stephens, left the meeting feeling very emotional. “To hear them speak of the difficulties of coming to a strange country, working hard, sacrificing for their children and how proud they are of them was so heartfelt you had to shed tears.”

Mike is proud of the sessions. He said feedback from these meetings resulted in a few changes in the curriculum. One change is the addition of African American biography to the Kindergarten and first grade curriculum.

Mike’s passion for students, teaching social studies rich with cultural stories and learning through open discussion was clearly evident. As I watched him leave KETC, I wished I could be in his class and experience learning about people and world issues through his expert guidance.

By the way we found our way to Mike through PIN source Jen Amunategui and her contacts, Chris and Amy Stephens. Thanks to all!

“It will be the first bill I file,” said Parkinson, R-St. Peters.

Such a pledge is in line with Parkinson’s focus on immigration ever since he took office in February 2008 after a special election. Parkinson (right) says his emphasis is welcomed in his district, where 92 percent of his survey respondents said “get tough on on illegal immigration.”

In fact, in early May, the St. Charles County Council voted 6-1 in support of Arizona’s law and urging the Missouri Legislature to enact a similar law.

Agreeing with this stance, for example, is St. Charles resident and Public Insight Network source Scott Rhoades. Illegal immigration “may not be as big a problem in Missouri as it is Arizona, but it is only a matter of time,” Rhoades said.

Arizona’s law, which requires authorities to ask for documentation of legal residency from people suspected of being illegal, “should have very little impact on the immigrants already here legally,” Rhoades said. “I do not feel it infringes on civil liberties one bit. When I lived in Denmark, I had my passport with me at all times.”

He complained locally of dealing “more and more every day” with people who cannot speak English, “which is an immediate indication they did not immigrate legally.”

Parkinson — a former aide to Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond, R-Mo. — emphasizes that his plan for Missouri will differ from Arizona, in part because of Missouri’s different constitutional mandates. His initial version, submitted in mid-April — with just weeks to go in the last legislative session — did not, for example, impose any requirements for Missouri law enforcement to check the residency status of people stopped for traffic violations.

The legislator does plan to zero in on such matters as Missouri’s drivers license. Foreign students in the state with legal visas are rightly able to apply for state drivers licenses, he said. But in Parkinson’s view, the licenses should expire on the same day as the visas; now, the students receive the state’s standard six-year license.

“If you overstay your student visa, it’s just as illegal as someone crossing the (U.S.) border,” Parkinson said.

He also acknowledges that Missouri’s immigration problems are far less severe than those in Arizona, which borders Mexico and is a favorite route for illegal immigrants and those who smuggle them into the United States.

Last weekend, one of the conservative leaders of Arizona’s illegal immigration fight — Chris Simcox (right), founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps — was in town to lay out the particulars of Arizona’s troubles, as he viewed them.

Simcox emphasized in an interview that his focus is on border security, and not so much on the United States’ immigration policies. That said, Simcox emphasized his belief that the flood of illegal immigrants into the United States is fueled by some businesses’ “desire for cheap labor,” and illegal drug trafficking.

Yet, overall, according to Politifact, illegal crossings from Mexico are down, measured by the decrease in border apprehensions. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as reported by Politifact, on the southern border, apprehensions dropped from 858,638 in 2007 to 705,005 in 2008 and to 540,865 in 2009.

Simcox appeared at a recent forum in south St. Louis County organized by Republican legislative hopeful Chris Brown, whom Simcox has known for years. Simcox said he is “barnstorming the country” to campaign for like-minded candidates concerned about security along the United States’ borders.

Among other things, Simcox contended that illegal immigrants have been deterred by Arizona’s law mandating photo identification for voting and receiving social services. He estimated Arizona has saved $1 billion because of lower demand for such state aid since the identification mandates went into effect.

According to Puneet Kollipara reporting in the Hill, local Tea Party leader Gina Loudon was expected to participate in a rally in Tempe, Ariz., this past weekend to support a “Buycott Arizona” campaign to counter tourism and business boycotts of the state. (Last year, Loudon organized a “Buycott Whole Foods” to show support of the store owner’s opposition to health-care reform.)

Area Hispanic Groups paying close attention

In Missouri, some Hispanic civic leaders are concerned about the legislative proposals advanced by Parkinson, among others. Jorge Riopedre, executive director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis, said, “We’re concerned about the business ramifications of these laws and plan to work with the Missouri Legislature as needed.”

The Hispanic Leaders Group of Greater St. Louis plans to make immigration the topic of its next meeting, set for June 9 at the Brown Shoe heaquarters in Clayton.

“We will have a panel discussion on what’s happening in our region,” said chairwoman Cileia Miranda-Yuen.

Sharing such concerns is Francisco Linan, a retired state worker of Hispanic descent who lives in St. Louis County.

“This implies police can stop anyone any time and ask for legal status. I bet they don’t stop whites and ask the same questions,” Linan said, recounting a recent incident in which a relative was stopped in Kansas and “had to show his Social Security number as proof of his legal status.”

“My friends suggested I place my Social Security number on my left arm with a permanent marker — I did,” Linan said, who is also a source in the Public Insight Network. He recalled that he had served in the military in the Vietnam War.

“I don’t understand; I went to Vietnam so that this country could … practice racial profiling?” he added sarcastically. “And what about the Hispanics — those come back from Iraq? Do they have to show their Social Security number on their arm or just show the prosthesis? There is a long-lasting solution somewhere, instead of a short and quick solution.”

We had an informative and educational lesson about the Scottish tartan. We found out by talking to Chris Fulton, the past president of the St. Andrew Society, which fosters exchange between those of Scottish descent and others in the St. Louis area, that there is a push to have an official, national tartan for Missouri!

It was a fascinating story about plaid and kilts and pleats and bow ties and sashes! Chris explained that the St. Andrew Society of Greater St. Louis is spearheading the effort to have a national tartan for the state of Missouri. If successful we would become the twenty-sixth state to have its own official tartan. To view the new tartan click on this link: http://www.slssas.org/Missouri_Tartan.html

We saw a sample of the tartan. It is designed very specifically to symbolize the things that are symbolic of the state of Missouri. Therefore, the plaid contains brown for the bear in our state seal, gray for the stubborn Missouri mule, blue and red for our rivers and our state bird, the blue bird. It will be called the “Show Me Tartan”. The fabric will be woven in Scotland because they are more capable of setting up large weaves of multi-colors but local kilt makers will tailor your kilt to fit your measurements.

Hopefully, we will see the Scottish community sporting this new “Show Me Tartan” by January 2011 after approval by the governor and the Registry of Tartans in Scotland!

***Latest tartan update: A redesign on the tartan has been done. You can check it out on the St. Andrew’s Society web site and even vote for your choice.

Watch the video: Missouri Tartan