Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The following is a message I received from the American Legion/Auxiliary that I wanted to share with you. Be sure to have a safe and happy 4th of July Holiday.
As we pause this week to celebrate our nation’s birthday, the holiday weekend also gives us time to reflect on what America means.
We all cherish our freedoms. The democracy we have been promised means that we can speak freely, run for elected office and worship as we choose. Imagine a nation without such freedoms. There are many such regimes operating today. Unlike them, America has been the land of opportunity for over 235 years. More than a place on the map, America is an idea, an idea represented by the Stars and Stripes.
The American flag is a powerful symbol. We who served beneath it fully understand that. Those who dream of escape from tyranny elsewhere on the planet see it as a sign of hope. Their oppressors are threatened by it.
Among our own citizens, some don’t honor the flag as you and I do. I respect their right to protest, but they cross a line when they desecrate our flag. Flag desecration is behavior, not speech, and our banner deserves protection under the law. A vast majority of Americans agree.
For God and Country, enjoy but honor the meaning of the Fourth of July,
Sondra Erickson
State Representative, District 15A