DON'T DISRESPECT OUR FLAG




Thoughts from Rick---A Vietnam Vet

I Become Disenchanted When I See Someone Burning The American Flag
I Feel The Same Way For Spitting On It Or Wearing It As Clothing
Don't Tread On Our Flag Or Disrespect It
The American Flag Is One Of Our Greatest Symbols Of Freedom
Many Men And Women Have Died Defending Our Freedom
When I Was In Vietnam
I Saw To Many Young Lives Being Sent Home In Coffins Draped With The American Flag
Many Tears Flowed From My Eyes For These Young Soldiers
Don't Disrespect Their Valor
Do Not "BURN" "SPIT" On Or "WEAR" An American Flag As Clothing In Front Of Me
You May Have The Right To Do So But I Will Not Stand By Idly And Watch You Do This

I Highly Honor My Flag And Country And Value The Freedom That I Have
The Freedom That Has Been Given To Me
Given To Me By So Many That Have Fought And Died Before Me

God Bless The USA And Our Glorious Flag
And May You Wave Forever, Peacefully Free


Go Ahead----Ask

For Those Who Want To Light Old Glory On Fire
Stomp All Over It Or Spit On It To Make Some Sort Of Statement
I Say "Let Them Do It"
But Under One Condition
They MUST Get Permission From Three Sponsors

First You Need The Permission Of A War Veteran

Perhaps A Marine Who Fought At Iwo Jima?
The American Flag Was Raised Over Mount Surabachi Upon The Bodies Of Thousands Of Dead Buddies
Each Night Spent On Iwo Jima Half Of Everyone You Knew Would Be Dead Tomorrow
A Coin Flip Away From A Bloody End Upon A Patch Of Sand
That Your Own Mother Couldn't Find On A Map

Or Maybe Ask A Vietnam Vet
A Vet Who Spent Years Tortured In A Small Filthy Cell Unfit For A Cockroach

Or a Korean War Soldier That Helped Rescue Half A Nation From Communism
Or A Desert Storm Warrior
That Repulsed Bloody Dictator From Raping And Pillaging An Innocent Country

That Flag Represented Your Mother And Father
Your Sister And Brother
Your Friends
Your Neighbors
And Everyone At Home
I Wonder What They Would Say
If Someone Asked Them For Permission To Burn The American Flag?

Next You Need A Signature From An Immigrant

Their Brothers And Sisters May Still Languish In Their Native Land
Often Under Tyranny Poverty And Misery
Or Maybe They Died On The Way Here Never To Touch Our Shores
Some Have Seen Friends And Family Get Tortured And Murdered By Their Own Government
Only For Daring To Do Things That We Take For Granted Every Day
For Those That Risked Everything Simply For The Chance To Become An American
What Kind Of Feelings Do They Have For The Flag When They Pledge Allegiance The First Time?

Go To A Naturalization Ceremony And See For Yourself
The Tears Of Pride
The Thanks
The Love And Respect Of This Nation
As They Finally Embrace The American Flag As Their Own

Ask One Of Them If It Would Be "OK" To Burn The Flag Or Spit On It

Last You Should Get The Signature Of A Mother
Not Just Any Mother

You Need A Mother Of Someone Who Gave Their Life For America
It Doesn't Even Have To Be From A War
It Could Be A Cop
Or A Firefighter
Maybe A Secret Service Or A NSA Agent
Then Again It Could Be A Common Foot Soldier As Well

When That Son Or Daughter Is Laid To Rest
Their Family Is Given One Gift By The American People

An American Flag


Go On I Dare You!

Ask That Mother If You Can Spit On Her Flag
Away From Family Away From The Precious Shores Of Home
In The Face Of Overwhelming Odds And Often In The Face Of Death
The American Flag Inspires Those That Believe In The American Dream
The American Promise The American Vision

Americans That Don't Appreciate The Flag Don't Appreciate This Nation
And Those That Appreciate This Nation Appreciate The American Flag

So If You Want To Desecrate The American Flag
Before You Spit On It Or Before You Burn It
I Have A Simple Request
Just Ask Permission
Not From The Constitution
Not From Some Obscure Law
Not From The Politicians Or The Pundits

Instead

Ask Those That Have Defended Our Nation So That We May Be Free Today
Ask Those That Struggled To Reach Our Shores
So That They May Join Us In The American Dream
And Ask Those Who Clutch A Flag In Place Of Their Sacrificed Sons
And Daughters Given To This Nation So That Others May Be Free

For We Cannot Ask Permission From Those That Died
Died Wishing That They Could Just Once Or Once Again
See Touch Or Kiss The Flag
The Flag That Stands For Our Nation
The United States Of America

Go Ahead----ASK

Author Unknown


The American Flag

"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"



What The Stars Stripes And Colors Of The Flag Symbolize

There Are 50 Stars To Represent The Fifty United States
There Are 13 Stripes To Represent The Thirteen Original Colonies
The Color White Means Purity And Innocence
Red Means Hardiness And Valor
And Blue Is Meant To Depict Vigilance Perserverance And Justice

The American Flag Has Changed Designs More Than Any Other Flag In The World
The First Flag Called The Grand Union
Was First Flown At The Headquarters Of The Continental Army On January 1, 1776
Betsy Ross A Seamstress Is Said To Have Contributed To This Design
She Had An Upholstery Business Which Made Flags For Navy Ships In Pennsylvania
A Legend Still Persists That She Showed George Washington How To Make A Five Pointed Star
And That She Suggested Thirteen Stars In A Circle For The First Flag
Her Descendants Claimed That She Offered The Design
Actually She And George Washington Never Met!

George Washington Did Design The Grand Union
But An Often Quoted Remark Attributed To Him Might Not Be True
We Take The Stars From Heaven
The Red From Our Mother Country
Separate It By White In Stripes
Thus Showing That We Have Separated From Her

On June 14, 1777
Congress Proposed That The United States Have A National Flag Instead Of The British Union Jack
The Thirteen Stars Of The Flag Represented The Thirteen New States
There Were Few Public Ceremonies Honoring The Stars And Stripes Until 1877
When On June 14 It Was Flown From Every Government Building In Honor Of The Centennial Of The Adoption Of A National Flag
Schools Had Unfurled American Flags Over Their Doors Or Outside The Buildings Long Before This
But in 1890, North Dakota And New Jersey Made A Law That Required Their Schools To Fly The Flag Daily

The First Official Flag Day Was Observed In Philadelphia Pennsylvania In 1893
New York Also Proclaimed June 14 As Flag Day
Other States Were Slow To Follow
Some People Thought That The Day Was Too Close To Memorial Day And Independence Day
In August 1949 President Harry S. Truman Proclaimed June 14 As Flag Day
Since Then The President Proclaims The Commemoration Yearly
All Americans In Our Country Are Encouraged To Display The Stars And Stripes Outside Their Homes And Businesses
Individual States Determine How They Will Observe The Day

Usually The Flag Is Flown From All Public Buildings
Speeches Are Made In Public Places
And Ceremonies Take Place In Towns Or Cities

During The War Of 1812 Between The British And Americans
Lawyer Francis Scott Key Was Escorting A Prisoner To Freedom By Ship
He Saw An American Flag Surviving A Battle In Baltimore Harbor
The Flag Inspired Him To Write The Poem Which Provides The Words For The National Anthem
The Actual Flag Now Hangs In The Museum Of American History In Washington D.C.
Today The "Star Spangled Banner" Is Sung At Large Public Gatherings Such As Sporting Events
Many Television Stations Play The Anthem Before The Station Closes Down For The Night


The US Flag Should Be Displayed From Sunrise To Sunset
On Of All These Days When The Weather Permits
It Should Be Displayed Especially On These Days:

New Year's Day
Inauguration Day
Martin Luther King's Birthday
Lincoln's Birthday
Washington's Birthday
Easter Sunday
Patriots Day April 19
Mother's Day
Armed Forces Day
Memorial Day Half Staff Until Noon
Flag Day
Independence Day July 4th
Labor Day
Constitution Day
Columbus Day October 12th
Navy Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Election Days
State And Local Holidays
And Such Other Days As May Be Proclaimed Py The President Of The United States


National Anthem

Say Can You See By The Dawn's Early Light
What So Proudly We Hailed At The Twilight's Last Gleaming
Whose Broad Stripes And Bright Stars Through The Perilous Fight
O'er The Ramparts We Watched Were So Gallantly Streaming
And The Rocket's Red Glare The Bombs Bursting In Air
Gave Proof Through The Night That Our Flag Was Still There
O! Say Does That Star Spangled Banner Still Wave
O'er The Land Of The Free And The Home Of The Brave?

Written By Francis Scott Key



You're A Grand Old Flag

You're A Grand Old Flag You're A High Flying Flag
And Forever In Peace May You Wave
You're The Emblem Of The Land I Love
The Home Of The Free And The Brave
Ev'ry Heart Beats True 'Neath The Red White And Blue
Where There's Never A Boast Or Brag
Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot
Keep Your Eye On The Grand Old Flag

You're A Grand Old Flag You're A High Flying Flag
And Forever In Peace May You Wave
You're The Emblem Of The Land I Love
The Home Of The Free And The Brave
Ev'ry Heart Beats True 'Neath The Red White And Blue
Where There's Never A Boast Or Brag
Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot
Keep Your Eye On The Grand Old Flag

By George M. Cohan





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