Yesterday my son in law, Scott Fowler, sent me this picture of my grandsons, Preston and Bailey. They made this flag with their own hand prints, as a gift to their father. Scott said it is the most moving gift he has ever received. He has tried hard to instill in the boys a respect for the history of our country and an awareness of the sacrifices that have given us the freedoms we enjoy. They have heard the story of the three and a half years my father, their great grandfather, spent as a prisoner of war. They have seen the pictures of him raising the flag as he did almost every morning of his life. They know what the flag stands for.
A recent Jay Leno interview of a random person on the street revealed that this person had no idea what that flag stood for. No idea what the stars and stripes signified. A generation of such people are quickly populating our country.
If we forget the price of freedom we will loose it.
If we forget our history we will forfeit our future.
The flag reminds us of the history and cost of the freedoms we enjoy today. We must be sure that this young generation can still SEE the significance of the flag and know its rich history. That knowledge will help guarantee that long after we are gone, old glory will still have a land of the free and home of the brave over which it can wave.
Oh, say can you see?
Comments
Great blog, Ken…loved it!
It’s your kids! You better love it! Keep teaching them the values we have held so dear.
Awwwww! That’s nice!!!
Tyler, I am so glad you enjoyed the blog
you still have not explained what the stars, stripes and colors stood for
The stars represent the states. The stripes represent the 13 colonies that rebelled against the English. Contrary to the words of some writers, poets and musicians, the colors in the flag have no specific representation. They DID have representation in the SEAL of America but NOT in the flag. The website https://www.usflag.org/colors.html explains this and more in great detail. I have reprinted a little of it below. Thank you for your interest.
Ken
What do the colors of the Flag mean?
Sentimental writers and orators sometimes ascribe meanings to the colors in the flag. The practice is erroneous, as are statements on this subject attributed to George Washington and other founders of the country.
From the book “Our Flag” published in 1989 by the House of Representatives…
“On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution authorizing a committee to devise a seal for the United States of America. This mission, designed to reflect the Founding Fathers’ beliefs, values, and sovereignty of the new Nation, did not become a reality until June 20, 1782. In heraldic devices, such as seals, each element has a specific meaning. Even colors have specific meanings. The colors red, white, and blue did not have meanings for The Stars and Stripes when it was adopted in 1777. However, the colors in the Great Seal did have specific meanings.