My Flag

By Ray Rogers

This is my flag, I mean that in the sense that not only is this my flag it is the flag of the greatest country that ever was or ever will be and I'm proud to call it my flag.

Everyone should memorize the preamble to the Constitution.

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

It has been the greatest experiment of all time: a nation where the people govern themselves. Not only was it a success we became the richest nation on the planet with the most powerful military in the world. Where people would come from all over the world to achieve for themselves the American dream. Some countries loved us, others feared and hated us. We were a proud people, we were free.

For years I can remember saying the pledge of allegiance to this flag, not knowing the full extent of why. As I grew older and became more educated I understood more of why I was pledging allegiance to our flag.

This flag represents strength, honor, courage, purity, innocence, perseverance, vigilance, and justice.

To me it's a symbol of freedom and sacrifice. The sacrifice that our forefathers (patriots) made for us.

A patriot is a person who has committed their self to realizing a vision for their country, no mater what it cost them. They would give everything they had for freedom and liberty.

Great patriots like Patrick Henry who said at the end of a very powerful speech "give me liberty or give me death."

Throughout the history of our country there were times when father, son, and brothers fought together side by side for the same cause (freedom). Sometimes seeing one another fall and would still counted all as righteous.

If it weren't for our patriots fighting for freedom around the world tyrants would be able to take a foothold and take over the weapons and forces of our allies and use them against us. This is why we have troops stationed at strategic locations around the globe.

So next time someone refers to our military as war mongers think about the price that was paid by these brave men and women that made it possible for them to have the freedom to speak their mind.

Our flag has changed 26 times throughout our history. Starting out with 13 white 5 pointed stars in a circle on a blue background, with 13 stripes, 7 red and 6 white. Also known as the Betsy Ross flag. Still having the original stripes we now have 50 five pointed stars to represent our 50 states.

These flags have flown over the battlefields of our victories and our defeats. They have flown proudly over our schools, court houses, capitols, fire departments, police departments, and other public buildings. They have draped over the coffins of our fallen soldiers, our presidents, and other of our public servants. For some reason even though I was only 3 years old I can still remember seeing pictures on TV of our flag covering the coffin of President John F Kennedy.

Our flag has been stomped on, spit on, and burned by people who hate us and hold our nation in contempt, all the while being adored by other people because this flag gives them hope.

Here lately I've seen people change our flag to their own version to suit themselves. As for me, I'll stick with a winner. 'Old Glory'. The flag that my great grand father, grand father, and father served in the military under.

I don't understand how anyone that was born in this country could hate it. Do you really believe that you would be better off in another country? We have such a great history. I'm proud of our history, our heritage, and our flag. God bless America once again.

When Love Is Not Enough

The thought, when love is not enough, crossed my mind this week and I decided to let it grow into whatever would come out of my keyboard. As I sit here I think of the high divorce rate in America…maybe even the world. An old lady was asked by a reporter how her and her husband had remained married for over 60 years. The old lady calmly replied: “We were married during a time when something got broke, we fixed it.” That could be said of many married, or formerly married people today. They were once in love and for some reason something went awry and instead of trying to fix it, they just separated, then divorced. 

When I was in Junior High many years ago, my home room teacher, Miss Kate Foster, had me to memorize a chapter in the Bible. First Corinthians, chapter 13. I quote part of it here to say that in truth, love can be enough if it is exercised rightly. “Love suffers long, and is kind; love envies not; love is not boastful, is not arrogant, does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not its own, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; rejoices not in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (I took the liberty to put the words into a more modern English for those who are not comfortable reading Shakespearean.)

There may come times when we think love is not enough. We may want to give up and call it quits. But when we sincerely think that there was one who loved us enough to die for us two thousand years ago and since then there have been many men and women who have fought and died for ours as well as others freedom, and all of that because of love for this country, one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. 

When we think in the broad terms of all that has been, there is no reason for love to not be enough in any situation we face.

Well, I said I would let it grow into whatever it would and there you have it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Your comments will be appreciated, pro or con. Thank you and God Bless.

My How Things Have Changed

By Ray Rogers

When I was a small boy I went to an elementary school in Washington DC and at the beginning of the day we would get started by saying the pledge of allegiance, we would hear a small scripture read over the intercom by one of the students, we would recite the Lords prayer, and then we would sing patriotic songs like 'My Country Tis of Thee'.

Our teachers taught us how great our country is and how our brave forefathers fought for our country so that Americans would know true freedom. Freedom of religion, no more Church of England shoved down our throats. Freedom to own land and freedom from the whims of a belligerent King.

Then someone found fault with our American way of life. They suddenly found us offensive and politically incorrect. So our politicians decided to make decisions that changed the way could talk and behave. Just because it made someone feel uncomfortable.

Our teachers had been very proud of our country and our heritage and they instilled in us a feeling of pride that made us proud to be an American. Now I hear stories of how our children are being taught now that America is evil, that the only reason our nation is so great is because we have stolen what we have from weaker countries. Even past presidential candidate John Kerry said that we were like Genghis Khan torturing and raping in other countries. I personally don't believe anything these politically motivated people say.

So what's my point? Well it's this: today we have more gang violence, gun violence, murder, hate, and division than we've ever had throughout my 53 years of memory. Why is this? Maybe it's because when we were children and pride in our country was being taught to us we felt like we belonged to a great nation, we weren't looking for anywhere to belong, such as a gang. We didn't need gang affiliation because we were proud non-hyphenated Americans.

When our own schools teach us that we should be ashamed of our heritage, that leaves a hole that needs to be filled with something. There is not a child in the world that doesn't want to belong to something great. So if they don't get that need to belong satisfied by God and country they're going to find another way to fill that need and it's not always a good choice.

Teachers should stop telling our kids that our country was wrong for believing in freedom, they're robbing them of the greatest feeling of pride that they'll ever know, the pride of being an American.

I'd like to see the ACLU go to a Muslim country and complain about them praying to Allah in their schools. I think they might lose their head.

There shouldn't be a need to look for something to belong to. We already belong to something great. THE GREATEST NATION THAT EVER WAS. Oh, and how has the way we done it for the last 35 years been working out for us?

I'm 53 years old, I'm an American, I'm proud of my American heritage, and I want my country back for the sake of my grandchildren.