Some Thoughts as America Celebrates Flag Day

JUNE 14 IS FLAG DAY IN THE UNITED STATES. Flag Day is celebrated on June 14 to commemorate the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The United States Army also celebrates the US Army birthday on June 14. The Continental Congress adopted "the American continental army" after reaching a consensus position in the Committee of the Whole on June 14, 1775. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day. And, on August 2, 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. Flag Day is not an official federal holiday. Title 36 of the United States Code, Subtitle I, Part A, CHAPTER 1, § 110 is the official statute for Flag Day, but it gives the President the discretion to officially proclaim the observance. On June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became the first US state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday, beginning in the town of Rennerdale. New York Statutes designate the second Sunday in June as Flag Day, a state holiday. The week of June 14 (in 2019 it is the week of June 09–15) is designated as "National Flag Week." During National Flag Week, the President will issue a proclamation "urging the people to observe the day as the anniversary of the adoption on June 14, 1777, by the Continental Congress of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States of America." The flag should also be displayed on all government buildings. Some owns and patriotic groups hold parades and events in celebration of America's national flag and everything it represents. The National Flag Day Foundation holds an annual observance for Flag Day on the second Sunday in June, with a program that includes a ceremonial raising of the national flag, the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, the singing of the national anthem, a parade and other events. The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore, Maryland, birthplace of the flag that a year later inspired Francis Scott Key (1779–1843), to write his famous poem, has celebrated Flag Day since the opening in 1927 of a museum in the home of flag-banner-pennant maker Mary Pickersgill. The annual celebrations on Flag Day and also Defenders Day (September 12, since 1814) commemorates the Star-Spangled Banner and its creator Mary Pickersgill, for the huge emblem that flew over Fort McHenry guarding Baltimore harbor during the British Royal Navy's three days attack in the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812 (1812–1815). The Betsy Ross House, home of legendary Betsy Ross, has long been the site of Philadelphia's observance of Flag Day. Coincidentally, June 14 is also the date for the annual anniversary of the Bear Flag Revolt in California. On June 14, 1846, 33 American settlers and mountain men arrested the Mexican general in command at Sonoma, and declared the "Bear Flag Republic" on the Pacific coast as an independent nation. A flag emblazoned with a bear, a red stripe, a star and the words "California Republic" was raised to symbolize independence from Mexico of the former province of Alta California. The Bear Flag was adopted as California's state flag upon joining the Union as the 31st state in 1850, after being annexed by the United States following the Mexican–American War of 1846–1849. Prominently flying both the US and state flags on June 14 is a tradition for some Californians. President Donald Trump was coincidentally born on June 14, 1946. Here is his proclamation for Flag Day and Flag Week 2019. • "Proclamation on Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2019. Issued on : June 7, 2019. On Flag Day and during National Flag Week, we celebrate and honor our Nation’s lasting emblem, our great American flag. Since the Second Continental Congress adopted its design more than 200 years ago, the Stars and Stripes has been a powerful symbol of freedom, hope, and opportunity. We fly Old Glory from government buildings, schools, city halls, police and fire stations, stores, offices, and our front porches. Wherever Americans are gathered -- sporting events, places of worship, parades, and rallies -- our flag waves proudly, representing the enduring spirit of our country. The American flag helps us to never forget the values of our Republic, and the valor of the men and women in uniform who have defended it. When we look at the red, white, and blue, we are filled with the same spirit of patriotism that stirred Francis Scott Key to pen the 'Star Spangled Banner' during the withering bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1812. We are reminded of the blood spilled across generations to safeguard liberty. We are prompted to reflect with pride on the purity and righteousness of our cause -- the same pride that swelled in the hearts of our boys as they took the beaches of Normandy, and as they raised the flag on Iwo Jima. And we are strengthened in our resolve to pursue justice and safeguard the rule of law, so that freedom can march on. Today, and all throughout the week, let us recommit ourselves to the principles upon which our country was founded. With grateful hearts, let us reflect upon the price of freedom, and the brave souls who gave their last full measure to preserve it. As we raise our flag, as we stand and salute or place our hands over our hearts, let us renew our sacred pledge that we will forever remain 'one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.' To commemorate the adoption of our flag, the Congress, by joint resolution approved August 3, 1949, as amended (63 Stat. 492), designated June 14 of each year as 'Flag Day' and requested that the President issue an annual proclamation calling for its observance and for the display of the flag of the United States on all Federal Government buildings. The Congress also requested, by joint resolution approved June 9, 1966, as amended (80 Stat. 194), that the President issue annually a proclamation designating the week in which June 14 occurs as 'National Flag Week' and calling upon all citizens of the United States to display the flag during that week. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim June 14, 2019, as Flag Day, and the week starting June 9, 2019, as National Flag Week. I direct the appropriate officials to display the flag on all Federal Government buildings during this week, and I urge all Americans to observe Flag Day and National Flag Week by displaying the flag. I also encourage the people of the United States to observe with pride and all due ceremony those days from Flag Day through Independence Day, set aside by the Congress (89 Stat. 211), as a time to honor America, to celebrate our heritage in public gatherings and activities, and to publicly recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third. DONALD J. TRUMP" • • • PRESIDENT TRUMP IS NOT THE OGRE THAT NANCY PELOSI DESCRIBES. He certainly does know right from wrong. Read the Flag Day Proclamation and it becomes clear. If there are Americans serving in public office who do not understand right and wrong, it is the Democrats who formed the cabal to oust President Trump. He defended his statements about foreign oppo research on 'Fox and Friends' after Speaker Pelosi disgracefully said his statements made it clear he doesn't know right from wrong. Newsmax carried the story : "President Donald Trump Friday defended his comments that he'd listen to information from foreign sources about his political rivals, saying that if he didn't listen to what he was being offered, he wouldn't know that it needed to be reported to law enforcement officials. 'Of course you have to look at it...but, of course, you give it to the FBI or report it to the attorney general or somebody like that,' Trump told Fox News' 'Fox and Friends' I thought it was made clear. I actually said at the beginning, I said I'd do both.' The President has come under fire, mainly from Democrats, after telling ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that 'there's nothing wrong with listening' to foreign sources. 'If I thought anybody was incorrect or it was badly stated I'd report it to the attorney general, the FBI, I'd report it to law enforcement absolutely,' Trump told Fox News. He also pointed out that he's 'constantly talking' to foreign leaders, and is in a 'much different position' than anyone else because he is the President.'I hear things that frankly, good, bad or indifferent that other people don't hear, just a normal conversation," said Trump. 'But nobody is going to say bad things to me. They know I'm a straight player. They know one thing about me I love the country more than anything.' Further, Trump noted that Democrats spied on his candidacy, through the use of the intelligence community, and that is 'probably the worst or certainly one of the worst political scandals in the history of our country.' He also rejected comments from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said Thursday the President's comments show he does not know right from wrong and that he's been involved in a criminal cover-up. 'I call her nervous Nancy,' said Trump. 'She's a nervous wreck, for her to make a statement like that, it's outrageous. Her party got caught spying.' " • Is that clear enough for even you to understand, Nancy?? • • • DO AMERICANS THINK ABOUT HOW UNIQUE AMERICA IS? I read an article early this week that was unrelated to America. In fact, it was about miracles. The Catholic Thing published it on Tuesday under the title "My Eyes Have Seen Your Salvation." The editor, Robert Royal, prefaced the article with a reminiscence about his recently deceased colleague Father James V. Schall, S.J., who would listen when teachers complained about the general state of affairs with their students. Royal said that Father Schall : "...with the wisdom born of long experience -- and decades of forming undergraduates -- would remind them that all we can do is continue to speak the truth wherever and whenever we can. And leave the rest to Providence. • Michael Pakaluk, in his article, wrote : "In the summer after my freshman year in college, I took a boat with a friend to a barrier island off the coast of Long Island, and we went swimming in the Atlantic. There was a riptide that quickly drew me several hundred yards out to sea. My friend, who had been able to get back to shore, knelt down on the beach to pray for me. He was an 'Evangelical Christian,' and I was (then) an atheist. Out of fear that I would go to hell if I died, he prayed for God to save me. And that is what happened. It was a deserted beach, miles from roads and structures. We had taken a boat to get there. People familiar with the area from fishing boats said things like: in twenty years they had never seen anyone on that beach. But immediately after my friend prayed, three men in black bathing suits came walking along the beach. My friend frantically pointed me out, a spot against the sea in the distance. One of them calmly got in the water, swam out to me, and, placing his elbow under my chin (against the riptide!), towed me lifeguard-style back to shore. When I was out there exhausted, starting to fail, I had the thought, I am going to die; I ought to pray. But I rejected that idea out of an atheist’s feeling of hypocrisy -- praying just then and only then. That resolution was foolish, to be sure. But it had this good upshot : in retrospect, there could be no gainsaying that I did absolutely nothing that led to my rescue. My sole contribution was, once the rescue was underway, to cease struggling, remain peaceful, and allow myself to be towed. The fellow who saved me dropped me at first in two feet of water. I was still going to drown there, because I had no strength to drag myself out of the water or even prop myself up. He stood over me for what seemed a long time, looking down (as I thought, with contempt). And, finally, he dragged me up onto the dry sand. He and his mates then simply walked away, without so much as exchanging a greeting. What I am telling you is true : I witnessed it. That is why I can say, 'my eyes have seen God’s salvation' -- whether or not my rescuer with apparently superhuman strength was an angel, as many who have heard this story believe. That day I was saved simply from drowning in the sea, by a man or an angel." • Pakaluk notes that his being saved "is meant to be a picture of true salvation, from sin and death, by the Son of God. 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,' Jesus said. We should remember that men don’t belong in the sea. As Pope Benedict commented in the homily at his installation Mass : for a fish, created for water, it is fatal to be taken out of the sea, to be removed from its vital element to serve as human food. But in the mission of a fisher of men, the reverse is true. We are living in alienation, in the salt waters of suffering and death; in a sea of darkness without light. The net of the Gospel pulls us out of the waters of death and brings us into the splendor of God’s light, into true life. The early Christians felt keenly that they had been, as it were, fished out of the sea by the Lord. To proclaim this fact, but also to cloak it from the Romans, they used an acrostic of the Greek word for fish, icthys, which stood for the profession, 'Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.' Much like that fellow who swam out into the deep to draw me out of the sea, so, as Tertullian said, Jesus made himself as if a great fish to save us little fishes. It’s easy to fail to see some big truths about the concept of salvation. Salvation is something done by one person to another; the savior 'rescues,' which involves a translation from one 'place' to another. Thus, salvation, correctly viewed, is entirely different from self-improvement, cultivation, growth, self-actualization, fulfillment, or even healing. All of these involve some remediation of a deficiency in a person. To educate is to combat ignorance. To heal is to cure disease. But salvation is an act upon a person -- it is not a matter of removing the evil from him, but of removing him from the evil." • • • DEAR READERS, what does this have to do with being aware that America is unique? For me, the answer is that Americans did not "save" themselves. The first Americans were "saved" by the Founders, who, by almost universal agreement, were the greatest assemblage of erudite and freedom-loving leaders ever put on Earth. And who assembled the Founders? God. It was He who created "America." It was He who decided to give humankind a last chance at being responsible for themselves and their fellow human beings under a Constitution that makes freedom and liberty available "under God." As John Adams said, "You have a Republic, if you can keep it." So, God "rescued" us Americans and pointed us in the right direction. We did not save ourselves. God saved us. • Michael Pakaluk wrote : "Someone who has been rescued never ceases to give thanks. But we do not...express our gratitude, unceasingly. • On Flag Day, it would be well, as we display our Grand Old Flag, to pause and thank God for this Flag that represents our salvation as Americans.