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Reflections July 2014

Life Is for Living

What's the Meaning of Patriotic?

By Neil Wyrick

I love this land. I love its ability to make war on injustice and what one reporter described as goose bumps that arise along with a rising flag. I'm proud that on our currency it reads "In God We Trust" even though there is a minority who would have it otherwise.

"My country right or wrong" can get not only individuals but the country itself in trouble. Nations, like people, are never perfect and the purpose of a democracy, hopefully, is that political cream really can rise to the top.

It is why we have talk show host and anchor persons and ongoing discussions as to how our own nation should be run –  by Democrats or Republicans and probably by a proper mix of both.

I admire my country despite all its faults and foibles. After all, it still remains the place so many want to come to and live. Part of my patriotism is my yesterdays: my boyhood of local parades, stirring tales of ancestors who were a part of our Revolutionary war and my own thousand-times memory of one thousand plus pledges of allegiance.

"I'll give it 200 years" said Ben Franklin as he signed the Constitution and somehow we've beat this time limitation by a considerable length of years.

To make patriotism worthy of its name we must do better than pave our shores with poverty. We also must make sure each man, woman and child is willing to do an honest day's labor for an honest day's pay. Also, proper compensation for that honest day's labor.

I love this land. I love its ability to make war on injustice and what one reporter described as goose bumps that arise along with a rising flag. I'm proud that on our currency it reads "In God We Trust" even though there is a minority who would have it otherwise.

I'm glad some have eye problems and just pray that more become color blind. Otherwise, prejudice will stay alive and well, and that is to the detriment of all of us.

I'm glad patriotism cannot be described in one word, one sentence or even in an article such as this. I'm just glad for the reality of it in my own life and for you my fellow Americans who give me proper reason for feeling as I do about this beloved country of mine.

It is hard work to let freedom ring and the bell ring loud and true. Greed and selfishness have a life of their own and do not easily die. So may we, each in our own way, destroy these two devils in disguise.

"Freedom isn't free" as the old saying goes and we as a nation must always be willing to pay the price, not just in war but in peace. Loving each other in such a way we make our neighbor’s life more like heaven and less like hell.

If we are to keep America strong we must be a part of solutions and not problems; by becoming examples worthy of repeating. We owe it to future generations to be better than generations of the past; to learn from mistakes and not make them again.

So, I challenge you and me to make America a better place because we earned an A+ in the course "How to make America beautiful."

 

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