Allegiance To America, Under God

"The Flag is many things. It is a mark of identification of ships at sea and of armies in the field."

"It is a means of communication. When you see our Flag in front of a home, it says, for all the world to read, "Here lives a family that is American in spirit as well as in name."

"The Flag is a mirror, reflecting to each person his own ideals and dreams. It is a history. Its thirteen stripes and fifty stars embrace a record written greatly during these years since 1776."

"It is a mark of pride in a great word---the word "American."

"It is an aspiration of what small children want their lives to be. It is a memory at the end of life of all that life has been."

"It is a ribbon of honor for those who have served it well---in peace and war."

"It is a warning not to detour from the long road that has brought our country and its people to a degree of prosperity and happiness never even approached under any other banner."

Edward F. Hutton

When an American says he loves his country, he is talking of many things. He could be describing the rolling hills of the Carolinas or the flowing, unpredictable waters of our oceans. He could be telling us of the wide, rising plains of the mid west or the beautiful, majestic mountains of Virginia.

But more than this, he means that he loves the very air and light of our great country. He loves the freedom it affords him to make his dreams come true, its very breath of self-respect, and its freedom of speaking his own mind. Most of all, he loves his right to worship Our Father in Heaven with the highest degree and spirit of Christianity.

Where has it gone, America,
The America of my youth?
When our flag was respected,
Our children, believers of truth.

Standing in quiet, rigid stance,
With right hand upon their heart.
Knowing God and American values
Would never stand apart.

A time when men went off to fight,
Their hearts were filled with pride.
Who for our country's honor fought,
And, for her, gladly died.

Standing at the forefront
Of every decision made,
God's Word, there to lead them,
And, in Him, they did obey.

Today, we find Him missing
In things that we hold dear.
Removed by those around us
Who denounce His words to hear.

So, when you pledge allegiance,
Remember who led the way.
Refuse to remove God from it,
He's still only a prayer away.

Every American should be given this lesson. Our founding fathers used GOD's word and teachings to establish our Great Nation. It's time for Americans to re-educate themselves about this Nation's history. Be proud of the country we live in and even more proud of those who serve to protect our 'GOD GIVEN' rights and freedoms.

Do you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the year 1776?

Do you understand what the flag-draped coffin really means? When a flag is draped over the top of a veteran's coffin and later folded and placed in the hands of so many widows and widowers, do you know what is meant? Have you ever noticed how the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the United States of America Flag 13 times? You probably thought it was to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new every day!

The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life.

The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of the country to attain peace throughout the world.

The 4th fold represents the weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, 'Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.'

The 6th fold is for where people's hearts lie. It is with their heart that They pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States Of America , and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

The 7th fold is a tribute to its Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that they protect their country and their flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of their republic.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.

The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.

The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born.

The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of their nations motto, 'In God We Trust.'

After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat. This is ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones. They were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy today.

There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In the future, you'll see flags folded and now you will know why.

Share this with the children you love and all others who love what is referred to, the symbol of ' Liberty and Freedom.'

ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

Amid the balance of nature
He battles with his scorn,
Unending course to nurture,
Trudge on, weary, forlorn.

Gone is past assurance,
Struggling, amid the pain,
To grasp, again, a fading dream
Now washed by pelting rain.

As in the drops of water
Running, unheeded, down his face,
A lack of understanding
For occupying space.

Time stands still, fear stampedes
The drumbeat in his head,
Reaching through the depths of night
To banish thought and dread.

Fleeting minutes pass,
Countless as the stars,
Days become as conflicts
Numbered by the scars.

The inner threat to lose control
Of sanity and self,
An outer battle with each day,
His life now he much stealth.

For, once amid the turmoil
Of repairing body and mind,
He, then, must face the questions
Of memories left behind.

To make a sense of broken dreams
And understand, with pride,
How, for their country's honor, fought,
And, for her, they have died.

As I have heard all of my life, history repeats itself. Should we not, as Americans, then listen to the advice of those who have gone before us?

My friend, who grew up in Romania and spent her years there as a young adult, left her country as a grown woman to come to America for the freedom she did not have in her own country. Later, after working very hard, she brought her husband and her mother to America to be with her. She knows what we only profess to know and appreciates all that WE simply take for granted!

I realize there are those who will disagree with me and, for that, you have the right. I was brought up to stand behind our President. However, he is simply a man surrounded by other men like himself, who do not have all the answers. I know what my friend has experienced and she sees the similarity becoming the America in which she now finds herself and she is very concerned.

We need to really think about the reality of America and decide what we wish to see for the future of our grandchildren and great grandchildren. Whatever the future holds, it is THEIR lives who will be most affected.

"Faith in God has meant to me the enjoyment of those manifold 'blessings of liberty' which the Founding Fathers sought to secure for all posterity. It is a fathomless source from which to draw strength in times of adversity. And it has helped me to catch a glimpse of the wisdom implicit in those immutable laws by which He rules His universe."

"This nation was born out of faith in God. It can continue to exist in freedom only as that faith remains forthright and strong. A statesman of a past age said, 'Despotism may govern without faith, but Liberty cannot'."

J. Edgar Hoover

Winston Churchill said, as he spoke to schoolchildren at a perilous time in his countries' History: "Never give in, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense."

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."

Abraham Lincoln

I was born in Europe, in a communist country. It does not matter which one as all communist countries are the same. By 1980, I felt like that was the last straw, and made a crazy move: I immigrated to the USA. Looking back after more than 25 years, I have to confess that my decision was the best ever. So, I enjoy every minute of my new life here because I have something to compare with. I am an American citizen and proud of it. It brings tears to my eyes when I see people taking for granted the liberties, the opportunities, when some of them don't respect the flag and don't even know the significance of it. And, it is painful to watch the disconnect between our representatives and good people of this land. For those who fall in the above category, I have to tell you that America is the greatest country on earth. For those who love this land, and fight for it, I have respect and gratitude.
Happy 4th of July!
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In regards to the Pledge of Allegiance; the words 'Under God' were added by congress, who were encouraged (by President Eisenhower) to add these words, because of the communist threat of the times. He wanted to make sure that other Nations knew who we stood by. Secondly, if one does any research on our 'Declaration of Independence', they would find that in the original draft...the word god was not capitalized and in the final mark-up the signers (Thomas Jefferson included) made sure that the word God was capitalized to show that we stood for the supreme God. With a minimal research, one would find God all over our nation. Just take a trip to Washington to find God all over the Capital building and many of our nations monuments...Even the Ten Commandments! Anyone disputing this should do their research!
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Thank You for this lens. I am a US Navy Veteran, and I love this country and God with all of my heart and soul. You hit a grand slam with this lens. It is clear that it is heart felt, and this country needs more people like you who are willing to stand up for the AMERICAN FLAG, and the PLEDGE of ALLEGIANCE and what they really mean and stand for. Again, THANK YOU!
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I wept; I felt my heart swell with pride; I felt shame at some of the things I did not know; I wept again because so many have forgotten WHY America is what it is. If I could, I would go before the Congress of the United States when it was in full session and read the entire lens. Then, I would read the quote from Abraham Lincoln--again, loudly. I am humbled. Thank you.
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What a tribute, not only to all of those brave, stalwart individuals who paid the ultimate sacrifice to procure us our freedom - but to God, who made it all possible. This is wonderful! Thank you, and may this be broadcast to millions of patriotic Americans - lest we forget...
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Wow ~ this is beautiful! I am sitting here in tears of respect to the people and ideals of our great country. Thank you for sharing your writing talents in this passionate lens. God bless America!
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I stand more proudly every day to be an American, even as things in our country change. I'll never take my freedoms for granted.

GOD BLESS AMERICA...PLEASE!!

"Allegiance To America, Under God"
Lens Of The Day Winner
July 2, 2010

Born in the small town of Pendleton, South Carolina, in 1950, I was the oldest of two, five years my sister's senior. It was a wonderful place to grow up where the entire town raised its children. I was always surrounded by people who loved and looked out for me. I graduated from High School with the same people who were in my kindergarten class. At 59, my childhood friends are still my friends. I feel so fortunate to have known such a childhood.

After college, I worked at Clemson University until May 1972. At that time, I married and lived in Glyfada, 22 miles from Athens, Greece for two years...via USAF. We then moved to North Dakota for another two years before returning to South Carolina.

We divorced after 16 years and two children. I married my best friend two years later and moved to Florida in 1988 and together we have raised my husband's son and daughter and my son and daughter...one federal officer, one "stay at home" mother and wife, one sixth grade school teacher, and the other, after working for Florida Power and Light since age 19, is now with AT&T. In 1996, I adopted my step daughter. We are blessed with four grandsons and one granddaughter.

In 1999, we became foster parents with the Children's Home Society and had a number of children under our roof in the next 5 years. In 2001, we adopted a 13 year old girl, whom we first met at the age of 11, and is now 22. I also have spent more time in a courtroom than I care to think about, fighting for the rights of the children in our care. In 2004, I turned in my license so that I could be a full time Mom to our special needs daughter and keep our infant granddaughter five days a week while her mother was teaching.

Bill, my husband, is a retired USAF Air Traffic Controller. He is now working out of the country, on Ascension Island, with Computer Science Raytheon, as their chief controller, contracted out of Patrick AFB, Florida. This enables him to continue to do the job he loves, air traffic, and aid the military. He flies in and out on furlough and I handle things here at home. I jokingly call myself a Single Married Woman.

Actually, I am a retired Accountant/Credit Manager, now a housewife, where I enjoy writing, singing, piano, and sewing. I have had numerous poems and short stories published and have sung in churches and for church organizations for years, as well as weddings, a couple of variety shows, and even at my daughter's, and later my son's, weddings, one of the hardest things I have EVER done. We are members of Riverside Baptist church where I am a soloist and a member of the Women's Bible Study Group.

And, last but not least, we have two singing dogs. Raven is a thirteen year old Skipperkee/Chow with bucked teeth and attitude and Whisper, our nine pound, twelve year old poodle, who thinks himself a Doberman.

I have been Mom To The Zoo since the morning after our wedding. My friend, Lee, who was staying with our four children and two dogs answered the phone from a sound sleep, "Hunt Zoo, Zookeeper Speaking."

My life has involved many changes and avenues that I would never have dreamed of and has given me challenges that I never thought I was equal to. But, I have found that God has a plan and, if you follow His lead, you can handle anything he puts in your hands. However, you have to first learn to listen to Him. No matter what we want from life, it must come in His time. He has given my husband and me more than we could have began to imagine back in high school and we have found that what we thought was so important for our futures back then was nothing to what we have done so far. I have learned from our foster children, to look forward to the future and the next challenge with enthusiasm and excitement. If they can trust and love us after what the world has dealt them, we can surely tackle whatever lies ahead with ease. Life is a series of learning experiences and I continue to find life to be both a challenge and a joy which grows with each passing year. I learn more and more about myself with each passing day!

Eugenia

(Photo: Taken of our family in 1994 when my husband retired from the USAF after 25 years in service.)