Welcome to our class blog! This blog is designed to help link our study of sociology with everyday experiences. Thoughtful comments are always welcomed and appreciated.
Enjoy, and thanks for visiting!
Monday, May 30, 2011
"Old Glory" = Freedom For All
By: Shannon Hall
Memorial Day. Barbeques, an extra day off from work or school, concerts, and other fun events. When I look around my friend's backyard (while he tries to pretend that he is Bobby Flay on the grill) I notice that his and many other backyards are decorated with the flag or the colors of the flag. Many people associate the flag with Memorial Day but do they really know the true meaning of the flag and what it really stands for? The American flag goes by many names, "Old Glory", "Stars and Stripes" and the "Star Spangled Banner". Whatever you want to call it the flag has the same meaning for everyone in America. Young and old, rich or poor, not matter what nationality you are, all Americans recognize the flag as America's symbol for freedom.
Every Memorial Day and Veteran's Day flags are hung as a reminder of the men and women who have died serving our country and protecting our right to freedom. But how did it all come about? Who thought of the flag?
In 1776 George Washington asked Betsy Ross to sew the first American flag. The colors were to be red, white and blue. When I was in school we were taught that the red stripes stood for the blood that was shed during the American Revolution, white stood for bravery and blue was for honor. The first flag had thirteen stars in the blue field, one for each of the original colonies. Today there are fifty stars, one for each state in the United States.
Since that time the flag has been revered as our symbol of freedom. Betsy Ross sewed it, Francis Scott Key wrote a poem about it after it survived the bombing of Fort McHenry, songs have been written about it, children and adults pledge their allegiance to it. And most moving of all are the men and women who have it placed on their graves because they gave their lives for it. We have seen images and videos of troops laying down their weapons to pick up the fallen flag on the battlefield and carry it into battle. There are even rules for how to hang the flag, how to fold the flag, and how not to show the flag. For instance, you are never to wear the flag as a shirt or hat. http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagcode.htm
Whatever the reason the flag was chosen as our symbol of freedom it is one that is known all across the country by people of all ages. I would like to thank all the men and women who believe in this symbol so much that they are willing to risk their lives so that I may have the freedom that makes America what it is.