It is an honor to have
this memorial of Thomas McGinness.
He will always be special to me and I will cherish this always.
To get your memorial
bracelet, click on the image and you can
pick the person you want to have on the bracelet.
I consider it a special honor to sponsor this
memorial to Johnnie Doctor Jr.
I just wish I could do more. My heart is so full and I don't know
the right words to say. I will cherish this always.
Click on this image to see a bigger view.
Image by Christine Kerrick
Pledge of Allegiance
The late Red Skelton related this story of how his favorite childhood
teacher, Mr. Laswell, helped his class understand the words to our Pledge
of Allegiance. It seems that Mr. Laswell was concerned that saying that
pledge had become just one more classroom chore, and he wanted to breathe
some life into those words.
In the words of Red Skelton:
"I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance
all semester," said Mr. Laswell, "and it seems as though it is becoming
monotonous to you. May I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning
of each word?"
"I" -- me, an individual, a committee of one.
"Pledge" -- dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.
"Allegiance" -- my love and my devotion.
"To the flag" -- our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever
she waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity
that shouts freedom is everybody's job!
"Of the United" -- that means that we have all come together.
"States of America" -- individual communities that have united into 48
great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity
and purpose; all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common
purpose, and that's love for country.
"And to the republic" -- a state in which sovereign power is invested in
representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the
people and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to
the people.
"For which it stands, one nation" -- one nation, meaning "so blessed by
God."
"Indivisible" -- incapable of being divided.
"With liberty" -- which is freedom -- the right of power to live one's own
life without threats, fear or some sort of retaliation.
"And justice" -- the principle or quality of dealing fairly with
others.
"For all" -- which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it
is mine.
Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country and two
words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance... "UNDER GOD"
Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be
eliminated from schools too? God Bless America!
THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES
I Am the Flag of the
Of America
I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up and see me.
I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant.
I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners,
My head is a little higher,
My colors a little truer.
I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted.
I am loved - I am revered.
I am respected - and I am feared.
I have fought in every battle
of every war
for more then 200 years.
I was flown at Valley Forge,
Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appamatox.
I was there at San Juan Hill,
the trenches of France,
in the Argonne Forest,
Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy.
Guam, Okinawa, Korea and
KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me.
I was there.
I led my troops, I was dirty, battleworn and tired,
But my soldiers cheered me and I was proud.
I have been burned, torn and trampled on the
streets of countries I have helped set free.
It does not hurt for I am invincible.
I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and
trampled in the streets of my country.
And when it's done by those
Whom I've served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.
I have slipped the bonds of Earth
and stood watch over the uncharted
frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon.
I have borne silent witness to all of America's finest
hours.
But my finest hours are yet to come.
When I am torn into strips and used as bandages
for my wounded comrades on the battlefield,
When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldier,
Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent
at the grave of their fallen son or daughter,
I am proud.
Every U down in Uville liked U.S. a lot,
But the Binch, who lived Far East of Uville, did not.
The Binch hated U.S! the whole U.S. way!
Now don't ask me why, for nobody can say,
It could be his turban was screwed on too tight.
Or the sun from the desert had beaten too bright
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
But, Whatever the reason, his heart or his turban,
He stood facing Uville, the part that was urban.
"They're doing their business," he snarled from his perch.
"They're raising their families! They're going to
church!
They're leading the world,and their empire is
thriving,
I MUST keep the S's and U's from surviving!"
Tomorrow, he knew, all the U's and the S's,
Would put on their pants and their shirts and their
dresses,
They'd go to their offices,playgrounds and schools,
And abide by their U and S values and rules,
And then they'd do something he liked least of all,
Every U down in Uville, the tall and the small,
Would stand all united, each U and each S,
And they'd sing Uville's anthem, "God bless us! God
bless!"
All around their Twin Towers of Uville, they'd
stand,
And their voices would drown every sound in the land.
"I must stop that singing," Binch said with a smirk,
And he had an idea--an idea that might work!
The Binch stole some U airplanes in U morning hours,
And crashed them right into the Uville Twin Towers.
"They'll wake to disaster!" he snickered, so sour,
"And how can they sing when they can't find a tower?"
The Binch cocked his ear as they woke from their
sleeping,
All set to enjoy their U-wailing and weeping,
Instead he heard something that started quite low,
And it built up quite slow, but it started to grow--
And the Binch heard the most unpredictable thing...
And he couldn't believe it--they started to sing!
He stared down at Uville, not trusting his eyes,
What he saw was a shocking, disgusting surprise!
Every U down in Uville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any towers at all!
He HADN'T stopped U-Ville from singing! It sung!
For down deep in the hearts of the old and the
young,
Those Twin Towers were standing, called Hope and
called Pride,
And you can't smash the towers we hold deep inside.
So we circle the sites where our heroes did fall,
With a hand in each hand of the tall and the
small,
And we mourn for our losses while knowing we'll
cope,
For we still have inside that U-Pride and U-Hope.
For America means a bit more than tall towers,
It means more than wealth or political powers,
It's more than our enemies ever could guess,
So may God bless America! Bless us! God bless!
Anonymous
