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| By Pat MacLeod |
The thread of our great nation I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
A special day, June 14, is set aside to honor the American Flag. It commemorates the day in 1777 when the Continental Congress of Philadelphia adopted the Stars and Stripes as our national flag. Yet somehow the day passed many of us by without giving the flag the respect and contemplation it deserves.
For many, Saturday came and went without a thought of it being Flag Day. That is, unless we happened to glance at the calendar. I didn’t hear anyone mentioning the day of observance, and found it surprising, especially as our country is at war. After all, displaying the flag is a way to express our gratitude to those that have fought and died for our country, and it’s a reminder of our obligation to preserve that freedom for generations to come. Although I don’t personally know anyone fighting the war in Iraq, it truly saddens me whenever I hear of another American casualty. There are some ordinary Americans who treat every day as if it were Flag Day. They revere our flag and are proud to display it. Bless them. There’s nothing like an American flag billowing in the wind to reaffirm that we are "one nation" and share some core values with one another, a belief in the dignity of the individual, a love of liberty, and a commitment to government of, for, and by the people. Many of us take pride in passing those beliefs on to our children. As soon as the toddlers can hold a stick in their tiny hands we give them "Old Glory" to wave at the Fourth of July parade. And at life’s end we drape the caskets of our fallen soldiers with the Stars and Stripes. After all, our flag carries with it American ideas, history, and feelings, all well expressed in these following patriotic poems. Perhaps reading them will motivate each of us to fall into step and celebrate our flag vigorously this Fourth of July. The Flag Goes By Henry Holcomb Bennett Hats off! Along the street there comes a blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums, a flash of color beneath the sky. Hats off! The Flag is passing by! Blue, and crimson, and white, it shines, over the steel-tipped ordered lines. Hats Off! The colors before us fly but more than that, the flag is passing by. Sea-fights, and land-fights, grim and great, fought to make and to save the State. Weary marches and sinking ships, cheers of victory on dying lips. Day’s of plenty and years of peace. March of a strong land’s swift increase, equal justice, right, and law, Stately honor and reverend awe. Sign of a nation, great and strong, toward her people from foreign wrong. Pride and glory and honor – all, live in the colors to stand or fall. Hats off! Along the street there comes a blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums, and loyal hearts are beating high. Hats off! The Flag is passing by! Ode to the Flag Linda Sheehan Cunningham Our Nation’s Flag is a stirring sight, as it flutters proudly in the breeze It’s colors of blue, red, and white, mean so much to you and me. Red stands for courage and, hardiness, the white means innocence and purity, blue for justice, perseverance, and vigilance. In its promise to keep us free, this banner stands for a bountiful land, its government, people and ideals. The stripes from the thirteen colonies stand, its symbolism is very real. Each State now represented by a star of white on blue. President Washington first presented the American Flag to you. Many brave men have fought and died to protect if from dishonor and disgrace. Wives have mourned and mothers have cried, so we could remain - The United States. The sight of this banner brings feeling of joy, courage, pride and freedom to all, a symbol of our nation in all its glory. Rights and Duties Calvin Coolidge We do honor to the Stars and Stripes as the emblem of our country, and the symbol of all that our patriotism means. We identify the flag with almost everything we hold dear on earth. It represents our peace and security, our civil and political liberty, our freedom of religious worship, our family, our friends, our home. We see it in the great multitude of blessings, of rights and privileges that make up our country. But when we look at our flag and behold it emblazoned with all our rights, we must remember that it is equally a symbol of our duties. Every glory that we associate with it is the result of duty done. A yearly contemplation of our flag strengthens and purifies the national conscience. Now that we’re in a patriotic mood, we may want to purchase a U.S. Flag that has flown over the United States Capitol building in Washington D.C. It can be done by writing a letter of request to either Senator Ted Kennedy or Senator John Kerry, according to USFlag.org.
We can then request to have that flag flown on a certain date, such as a birthday or anniversary, as long as the request is made at least four weeks in advance. The flag is mailed to the purchaser, after the specified date, enclosed with it will be a Certificate from the Architect of the Capitol, stating that it was flown as requested.
What a great way to salute the American Flag, and those who have served our country, past and present. | | | | | | |
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