Honoring the American Flag
In 1777, 234 years ago, the Second Continental Congress proposed that the United States have its own flag. While it wasn’t until 1949 that June 14 was officially established as Flag Day, the flag has always been a symbol of America’s freedom and triumphs.
As a teenager, I remember standing under a gigantic flag flying over Trophy Club, Texas, as a Marine Corps recruiter sternly told me, “Every time you look at that flag, you should get goose bumps and remember those who have come before you defending it.” It’s the first time someone emphasized this to me, and it is something I have never forgotten.
As a first-generation American and a first-generation Marine, I am filled with an immense sense of pride in honoring our flag. The American flag represents the ideals that this country was founded upon, and this day provides us with the opportunity to display our pride even more. Despite past victories and progress, however, we should also be aware that there remains a long way to go before we achieve equality for all.
As advocates for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), we remember that many men and women who volunteer to protect the flag are still forced to serve in silence under DADT. In President Obama’s 2011 Flag Day proclamation, he states that “We remain committed to defending the liberties and freedoms it represents, and we give special thanks to the members of the Armed Forces who wear our flag proudly.”
Full support and appreciation includes 100 percent of our armed forces. We must ensure that repeal certification happens this month. No LGBT patriot should ever again have to look at the flag they help to defend knowing that their career and well-being is threatened if they are honest about who they are.
06-14-11 By Danny Hernandez, SLDN Communications and Development Assistant, former Marine Lance Corporal |
2 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.levis on June 15, 2011 at 04.56 am
HOO AH!!, i really hope that certification happen this month, it is a matter of honor for us to serve and finish our term with pride or stay in the army long enough to see our chevrons get longer, be able to remember old guns and enjoy retirement knowing that u serve your country in the best way u could….for many of us this is the reason for joining the armed forces.. HOO AH!!
Bill on June 14, 2011 at 09.28 pm
Danny—great comments. The flag is the most important symbol we have in the USA, and we should always give it the greatest honor—remembering, of course, that we are sworn to defend the Constitution, not the flag. As such, I am in the odd position of defending flag burners while despising them—our Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights, defines freedoms which are sometimes inconvenient, but always critical. As for ending DADT, were the founding fathers alive in our modern world, I am sure they would also be fighting to end an odious policy that they didn’t recognize in their more primitive era. Thanks again for your remembrance of the flag.