Entry bubble Flag Day, Snoozeville? Not Really!

By: Ginger | June 12, 2009 | Category: General


American flag hanging in front of an antique shopJune 14th is officially celebrated as Flag Day. Are you secretly, or not so secretly, thinking, “So what?” Other than kids in school, who celebrates Flag Day? When I was first looking at the calendar and contemplating a blog topic for this week, I breezed by “Flag Day”, because let's face it, it doesn't seem that sexy. I confess... I actually thought it might be too boring, but then I did a little research and thought about what our flag really represents.

When our founding fathers declared their independence, they weren't a bunch of teens rebelling against their parents by stealing the keys to a shiny new country and taking it out for a spin. Declaring independence meant putting everything, including their lives, on the line for a belief. That had to have been one of the most difficult, gut-wrenching decisions to make. How many of us today would have the courage to do such a thing?

With the struggle won and independence achieved, you know that our founders wanted to create a flag that represented the culmination of that struggle. On June 14, 1777, the second Continental Congress adopted a resolution that read: “Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union of thirteen stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation.” A “new constellation”... that is pretty powerful.

Our constellation of thirteen states that united to form a new country has grown to become a constellation of fifty states remaining united as a country and our flag today still represents this unity. Our country has had its share of struggles, but this “constellation” grew into a world power. I wonder if our founding fathers had any inkling of what the United States would become. Hopefully they would be proud that even today we value and try to maintain the same principles that they had when creating our country.

If you want to learn more about our flag, check out these resources:

Speaking of our constellation, I will be out for the next 2 weeks on vacation in our 49th state, Alaska. I will be back in time for July 4th and my next blog will continue with this theme of independence,  principles and the establishment of our country.

| View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: flag_day   ginger  

Comments (3):

blue comment bubble Posted by Norma Joiner on June 13, 2009 at 03:32 PM EDT

I appreciated your blog on the topic of Flag Day. I'm certain if you stood on a sidewalk and asked each person passing by when Flag Day is, most would have no clue. For reasons I probably can't explain, I have known when Flag Day is for as long as I can remember.

In the small city of Tieton, we choose to remember Flag Day in a rather unique way. While our nation honors veterans of our military on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, we choose to honor our area veterans on Flag Day. Tomorrow, June 14th, we will hold our 4th Annual Flag Day Celebration. We celebrate our veterans on Flag Day to remind us what those soldiers served and sacrificed for - the preservation of our nation and the continuance of the many freedoms we enjoy.

Our flag has long represented the ideals of the American people and it serves as the safeguard of our liberty. It declares that we are one nation held together by our common beliefs - our Bill of Rights and our Constitution. Our flag flies proudly as the beacon of the liberty we enjoy. That liberty was gained by the brave men and women who birthed this great nation, and it has been preserved countless times by the many soldiers who have come after our Founding Fathers. Countless blood-soaked battlefields and rows of crosses and monuments stand as a testament to their willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for this country.

Ordinary men and women who display extraordinary valor. We remember our veterans on Flag Day so we will never forget their sacrifice.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Ginger on June 15, 2009 at 07:07 AM EDT

Norma, thanks for the heartfelt comment. I agree whole heartedly with you. Thanks for sharing how your town, Tieton, celebrates Flag Day. I think that is wonderful.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Dr.john on June 26, 2009 at 07:50 AM EDT

Our flag has long represented the ideals of the American people and it serves as the safeguard of our liberty. It declares that we are one nation held together by our common beliefs - our Bill of Rights and our Constitution.
http://pcsatellitetv.1to3.info

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