The Sight Should Gladden Our Hearts

The 250th birthday celebration of our country has come and gone but it does not have to end just yet.

My wife had to work on Independence Day, so I took time to enjoy some wind therapy. For those unfamiliar, that means getting out on a motorcycle and cruising with no particular place to go and no hurry to get there – just enjoying the ride and wind. Anyone who rides motorcycles can explain the experience.

While riding it was incredibly exhilarating to see all the American Flags, banners and other symbols of patriotism displayed with pride and enthusiasm, especially in celebrating the 250th birthday of our great country. In some countries, the government has to require, force or coerce such displays and people do not take them down, fearing punishment, jail time, torture or worse. In this country it was the people who were and continue to be proud of this country and what it stands for that bought and erected those patriotic displays.

As I cruised along the roadways the evidence of patriotism was there for all to see and it was heartening to see, but there were noticeable differences. In just my personal experience, there were a lot more American Flags flying and patriotic displays in rural and suburban areas that in our neighboring large city.

In my experience such is not atypical. People in the rural areas and outside the major cities have a different appreciation for this country and the freedoms it offers. It is in the rural and suburban areas where pride and patriotism still run deep. It is where neighbors still help neighbors, where one can enjoy being outside and children can still play outside without fear.

This is diametrically opposed to population segments in the big city that are too lazy to work, dependent on free or subsidized housing, free transportation, free this and free that, and wanting more for free paid for by those who work. One might surmise that among those population segments there were few flags or banners because if they have no pride in themselves they will have no pride in their country either.

INDEED, it has been pleasurable seeing all the flags and banners displayed and as this is being written, many remain displayed and that is good … up to a point.

Those flags and banners will inevitably become tattered and worn; they begin to fray and even split during high winds. The banners can simply be trashed but the American Flags should be treated with more respect.

When your flag becomes tattered and worn, take it down but don’t throw it in the trash, instead give it to one of the organizations that ceremoniously retires American Flags. The US Flag Code does not specify any one organization charged with the ceremonial retirement of an American Flag but among those organizations that do retire them are Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and Boy Scouts.

I have personally watched Boy Scout troops retire American Flags and it is a solemn ceremony well worth attending. When that flag you put up before the Fourth of July become tattered and worn, consider giving it to your local Boy Scout troop for a retirement ceremony, then try to be present to watch.

If you can’t find a local VFW Post, American Legion Post, or Boy Scout Troop near you that will accept an American Flag for retirement, let me know at the email address below and I will try to find an organization that will take it.

In the meantime, it would be grand to make patriotism last longer than a weekend.

That’s my opinion.

Andy Kober can be reached at andykober@hotmail.com