. . . But how did Flag Day come to
be? Interestingly, in 1885, some 108 years after the Flag Resolution was
passed, a 19-year-old Wisconsin schoolteacher named Bernard John Cigrand
inspired his students at Stony Hill School to celebrate June 14 as “Flag Birthday.”
According to the Congressional Record, what we call “Flag Day” is believed to
have originated with Mr. Cigrand, a teacher who cared enough to instill in his
students a great appreciation for the American flag as a symbol of our
God-given freedom.
Thanks to Cigrand, children across
America have enjoyed Flag Day celebrations ever since. In fact, in 1894
over 300,000 students turned out to celebrate June 14 with their small flags
and patriotic songs throughout many of Chicago’s city parks. This became
a tradition of Chicago public schools.
Times sure have changed, haven’t
they? Today, there never seems to be a shortage of news stories about a
school or university mired in an anti-American flag controversy. In fact,
it’s all the rage to call for a ban of the flag in the name of
“inclusiveness.” At the University of California, Irvine, least 60
professors reportedly signed a petition in support of their cultural Marxist
protégés who wanted to ban Old Glory because they felt it “contributes to
racism and xenophobia.”
Instead of imparting knowledge
about America’s extraordinary founding principles that have given rise to the
freest and most prosperous nation on earth, these tenured radicals actually
think that socially engineered “inclusiveness” and “diversity” are greater
virtues than liberty itself. Well, as Forrest Gump said, “Stupid is as
stupid does.”
Luckily for us liberty lovers, we
know better. So as we fly our flags this year in celebration of Flag Day,
let us not forget to remember the greatness of America’s founding, those who
came before us that gave the ultimate sacrifice to defend it, and the
historical significance of June 14.
Happy American Flag Day!
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