Patriot Pen: Why I Honor the American Flag
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” When I hear the first line being said I think we are saying that we pledge to America that we are going to have full commitment in respecting America and the human rights of all. I also think that it means that we should not do anything to separate America. When we say “With liberty and justice for all,” we are stating that we should respect everyone in America meaning we are going to respect all those who have different religions or beliefs. We are also stating that we should respect people that we do not like or people who look, talk, or act different.
Many people know that the thirteen stripes on the American flag stand for the thirteen original colonies and that the fifty stars stand for the fifty states of America, but many people do not know what the colors red, white and blue stand for. People think the red stands for blood and the blue stands for the water around America, but it does not. The red stands for hardiness and valour which means that when the soldiers were fighting they had the ability to endure difficult conditions and the soldiers had great courage to fight for America. The white stands for purity and innocence which means the soldiers fought for freedom. The blue stands for vigilance, perseverance and justice which means the soldiers were and are trying to keep America safe and that we should treat everyone with respect.
I honor the American flag for many reasons but my main reason is that it is a reminder to me of all the soldiers that have died, fought and are fighting for America. I think every soldier that fought and every soldier that is fighting for America has contributed something to the American flag. The American flag is a symbol of our freedom. Without our soldiers we would not have our freedom.
About Voice of Democracy and Patriot Pen Programs
According to VFW Post 4090 Commander Bill Almy, “The Voice of Democracy and Patriot Pen program is the VFW's shining star when it comes to youth activities and programs. Voice of Democracy it's geared for high school level students to write essays and record their essays to be judged and screened at the post level with the opportunity to advance to District, State department and National level for total scholarship of $30,000 in college tuition to the winner at National level.”
The essays are normally two to three minutes long and the topic is chosen by the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization each year.
The Patriot Pen essay program is an opportunity for Middle School students to participate in a similar essay program. The topic again is chosen by the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization and the prize package is less than Voice of Democracy winners. The Patriot Pen program gives middle schoolers and opportunity to test their skills in the essay program and once they get to high school level participate in Voice or Democracy for greater Rewards.
The Portland Beacon has made arrangements with VFW Post 4090 to publish some of the submissions it received this year. The words, thoughts and ideas shared in the submissions are those of the author.
