I am the flag of the United States of America. My name is Old Glory. I fly atop the world's tallest buildings. I stand watch in America's halls of justice. I fly majestically over institutions of learning. I stand guard with power in the world. Look up and see me, I am there. I stand for peace, honor, truth, and justice. I stand for freedom. I am confident. I am arrogant. I am proud. When I am flown with my fellow banners, my head is a little higher, my colors a little truer. I bow to no one! I am recognized all over the world. I am worshiped - I am saluted. I am loved - I am revered. I am respected - and I am feared. I have fought in every battle of every war for more then 200 years. I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh, and Appomattox. I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France, in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome, and the beaches of Normandy, Guam, Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me, I was there. I led my troops, I was dirty, battle worn and tired, but my soldiers cheered me, and I was proud. I have been burned, torn and trampled on in the streets of countries I have helped set free. It does not hurt, for I am invincible. I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of my country. When it's by those whom I've served in battle - it hurts. But, I shall overcome - for I am strong. I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon. I have borne silent witness to all of America's finest hours. But my finest hours are yet to come. When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battlefield. When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldier, or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent at the grave of their fallen son or daughter, I am proud. My closing prayer is that they are able to save those people who may still be alive, huddled in the sub basements of the towers. (Thanks Chatty!)  From a speech made by Capt. John S. McCain, USN, (Rep) who represents Arizona in the U.S. Senate: As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room. This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home. One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian. Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School. Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country, and our military, provide for people who want to work and want to succeed. As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed it on the inside of his shirt. Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell, it was indeed the most important and meaningful event. One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically, and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it. That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours. Then, they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could. The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room. As said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.... (Thanks Mom & Dad!) Sunday, September 16, 2001 In a shocking example of out-of-control political correctness, a Boca Raton, Florida company ordered managers to confiscate American flags from employees' desks, calling them "divisive" symbols that might offend someone's tender sensibilities. At a time when Americans all across the nation were being asked to display Old Glory in honor of the thousands who died in New York and Washington Tuesday, this outrageous assault on the company's employees' patriotism was justified by a top official of NCCI Holdings, Inc. as a gesture of compassion for those employees who might be offended by the sight of a flag for which tens of thousands of Americans laid down their lives to defend in past wars. The company which monitors workers compensation insurance data, told its 850 Boca Raton employees that displays of nationalism had no place in the office. "Divisive statements or actions, political or religious discussions and anything else that could be divisive or mean different things to different people are not appropriate in our work environment," wrote Chief Executive Officer Bill Schrempf in a memo to employees, according to the Palm Beach Post. "It just boggles my mind that here in America or anywhere in America, one would be restricted from displaying it," one employee wrote in an e-mail to Schrempf a copy of which was sent to The Palm Beach Post. "Too many people these days, including yourself, it seems, seem to forget what the flag symbolizes and that many men and women served to defend that flag. I think you should show a little more respect." Incredibly, one employee told the Post she was suspended and told to go home Friday morning when she refused to remove a small flag from her desk. The company refused to confirm whether it had asked any employees to leave, the Post reported. NCCI spokesman Michael Bullard told the Post the company has a long-standing policy of prohibiting employees from bringing political or religious symbols into the workplace. Fewer than 10 flags were removed from cubicles, Bullard said. "It seems to me only a small number of people are upset about this," he said. Perhaps readers would like to let NCCI know that far more than a few people are upset over this disgusting display of anti-American bigotry. Their address is 750 Park of Commerce Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33487 and their phone numbers are (561) 994-8572 and (561) 997-1000. You can e-mail them through their website: www.ncci.com (Thanks again Mom & Dad!) Read "The Blanket", an inspiring little story!
|
