By Mary Kay Scharf
Sunday was a national holiday. Do you know what we celebrated? In 1949, President Truman signed an Act of Congress establishing June 14 as a national holiday to honor our flag.
As I researched the origins of this special day, I found this quote by President Calvin Coolidge that best defines the importance of honoring the flag. These are his words:
“We identify the flag with almost everything we hold dear on earth: peace, security, liberty, our family, our friends, our home. … But when we look at our flag and behold it emblazoned with all our rights we must remember that it is equally a symbol of our duties. Every glory that we associate with it is the result of duty done.”
And so we first honor the men and women, past and present, who dedicated their lives to gaining and preserving our rights and our safety.
And then, we contemplate what the flag represents to each of us.
I grew up in a family in which patriotism and respect for the flag was not simply celebrated on a single day. Although modern etiquette indicates people should stand to honor the first American flag that goes by in a parade, my parents taught us through example to stand for every American flag that passes. Standing with respect during the national anthem was never to be disregarded – ever. Today when I see people and athletes walking and talking during this revered tradition, I amtruly saddened.
And then I realize, they may not know better. Respect for the flag and flag etiquette has likely disappeared from most family conversations. The news reports of desecration of the flag, but not of honoring it. Schools in Illinois continue to start each day with the Pledge of Allegiance and curriculum includes civics and patriotism – but this is a small portion of the content delivered over the course of a year. And while talented teachers embed this instruction into daily routines and integrate it with related content, it is my opinion that it is not enough.
I don’t have a single solution for increasing the value Americans place on this symbol of our freedoms, but I agree with President Woodrow Wilson who said about our flag, “it has no character than that which we give it from generation to generation.”
So parents, grandparents, neighbors, consider what we can do to restore the glory to “old glory” and let the passing of this tradition-of-honor to a new generation be a part of our legacy as it was from ourparents.
The Internet and the libraries are filled with stories, facts, poems, quotes, and music to assist in this effort. But the easiest way to start the conversation with a child is to share your appreciation for the flags in our community as your see them,thank the neighbors or businesses who fly them daily, and possibly…proudly fly your own American flag.
Mary Kay Scharf is the Director of Principal Leadership in the Bloomington Public Schools. A Clinton native, she was a teacher for 7 years and has been a principal and school administrator for the past 26 years. She is a volunteer for multiple community organizations, most passionately for the Not In Our Town initiative. The proud mother of 3 and grandmother of one, Mary Kay lives in Normal with her husband, Jamie.
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