OPINION:
In 1963 then-President John F. Kennedy established the Presidential Medal of Freedom to recognize individuals who had made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors” (“Biden to award gun control activist Gabby Giffords, Trump critic Khizr Khan with Medal of Freedom,” Web, July 1). It is the highest award that can be bestowed upon a civilian in the United States. To date, 673 medals have been awarded. While many of them have been, in my opinion, of questionable merit, when I learned that soccer player Megan Rapinoe had been presented with the medal by President Biden this month I lost any respect I might have previously had for it. If I’d been one of those other 672 recipients, I’d be mailing my medal back to the White House — cash on delivery.
PATRICK MCGINN
California, Maryland
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