The Colors that Never Fade

After a month or more of healing from the loss of our beloved golden retriever & my back injury, I'm back in the running shoes again!  My back feels great & I'm ready to begin the road to Patriot Run #6, Grandma's Marathon.  I have to say, as exciting as running Grandma's again will be, trying to stay motivated in Wisconsin during the winter is pretty tough for me.  Running on the treadmill gets old fast...I can't wait for spring!

Last month, in my son's grade, a couple of students decided to irritate their teacher by not standing to salute the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance. The teacher decided to use that scenario and assign everyone in the grade to write a paper on why or why not we should salute the flag.   Here is the paper my son turned in:

    The Colors that Never Fade

      Do I have to salute the U.S. flag? It’s just a flag, right? Wrong! The flag of the United States of America is not just material sewn together to look pretty waving on poles throughout the nation.  It represents so much more, more than is even realized by many Americans.  It stands for freedom, sacrifice, courage, strength, and unity.  Does it deserve to be saluted and respected? Absolutely!

This nation began as a place where people traveled from across the seas to pursue their dreams; and to be free.  To this day, people still come for the very same reason.  This country is not free by accident.  Thousands sacrificed time and their very lives to protect what some take for granted every single day...freedom.  Americans are free to choose how they want to make a living; how they wish to worship God; where they want to live; how big or small they want their families; or how they want to voice their opinions.

On the flip side, that very same freedom that people have died for, also gives citizens the right to not work, not worship, not marry, and unfortunately, not salute the flag.   What a horrible tragedy that is!  That would be like not saying, “thank you” to a military personnel for taking that bullet to the head, or to the POW who was tortured because he or she was loyal to the country that supports them.  A postcard might as well be sent saying, “Yeah, I really don’t care that you are missing the birth of your child just so I can choose to live how I want to live.”  Being free does give us that choice, but is it right?

It is the patriots of this country who understand and appreciate what the U.S. flag represents.  It is the ones who have left their homelands plagued by war and violence who come here to give thanks everyday that they are now free.  It is the athletes who have changed their citizenship so they can participate in events they could not have in their homeland.  It is the mother and father raising their children in a land where there is peace and opportunities abound.  It is the student who longs for their brother, sister, father, or mother because of the war.

The flag of the United States of America deserves to be respected and saluted.  It gives us the freedom to make that valiant choice to salute, rather than the alternative of being forced to.  Remember that fact during every pledge, during every performance of the National Anthem, and every time you simply pass it waving in the breeze.  Be a patriot, stand up, respect the thousands whose blood has been spilt, and salute Old Glory!  May God bless America!

He made me proud to be his mom! Not sure what happened to the students who didn't stand, but I think it made my son think a little more about his freedom. Who knows, maybe there were more.

 

"Run with the flag, walk with the flag, honor it, respect it, protect it.  As long as it keeps waving, we are free!"  ~J Bringgold