On Respect For Old Glory

There has been a lot said of late about professional athletes kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem and about respect for and disrespect of our American flag, long referred to as Old Glory.

The importance of our National Ensign and its significance is most apparent to me when military veterans die and their remains are draped under it. Many military veterans have been honored in that way over the decades. It is powerful symbolism because it is their service and sacrifice over decades that have given and kept alive Americans’ freedoms, to include our freedom of speech...even to the point of speaking out against Old Glory, that very same flag so venerated by our military veterans.

So, here's my take on recent events. Many Americans do not understand nor appreciate the depth of commitment behind our veterans’ service and sacrifice because it has not been a part of their personal life experience. And just because we have certain freedoms doesn’t always mean it is appropriate to exercise them. When I see that Old Glory flying on a breeze, it sometimes takes my breath away; I sometimes get teary-eyed and emotional...mainly because I remember daily the fine men I served with in the Marine Corps who died in combat. It is highly personal to me and my greatest honor will be when I am buried under our Old Glory. *And by the way, in combat we fought as brother Marines; race, religion, educational level, rich or poor, etc. meant nothing whatsoever then and still doesn't. The only way one can truly appreciate America is to leave it and see the conditions many other people live under in so many other countries. I thank God Almighty I was born here and am an American citizen. So...yes, America is not without fault nor challenges and yes, we have significant issues to address. But I believe to the core of my being that united, there is nothing we as a nation cannot accomplish.                                                                                               

The challenge we as Americans face nowadays boils down to these items: we must recognize we are each others’ keeper; that we are in this together as we ought to be; that we are all made of the same stuff (DNA science proves it); that positive builds and negative kills; that we all need a code to live by and the Golden Rule is the best one I've encountered; that love for one another is the right thing to do; that we must move away from blame and sins of the past...find a way to forgive one another...and move ahead together productively and responsibly. I cannot be angry against another unless I blame them and so long as I blame others, I cannot take responsibility for myself and my circumstances. I’m responsible...at least for my own response to life circumstances .

I choose to love and respect my God, my country, my flag, my fellow Americans. It might sometimes be a challenge but it is always the right place to start. Hate for one another is never the right thing to do nor the right answer to our societal problems we all face.