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The flag is the
symbol of our national unity, our national endeavor, our national aspiration.
The flag tells of the struggle for independence, of union preserved, of liberty
and union one and inseparable, of the sacrifices of brave men and women to whom
the ideals and honor of this nation have been dearer than life.
It means America first; it means an undivided allegiance.
It means America united, strong and efficient, equal to her tasks.
It means that you cannot be saved by the valor and devotion of your ancestors,
that to each generation comes its patriotic duty; and that upon your willingness
to sacrifice and endure as those before you have sacrificed and endured rests
the national hope.
It speaks of equal rights, of the inspiration of free institutions exemplified
and vindicated, of liberty under law intelligently conceived and impartially
administrated. There is not a thread in it but scorns self-indulgence, weakness,
and rapacity.
It is eloquent of our community interests, outweighing all divergencies of
opinion, and of our common destiny.
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I am
the flag of the United States of America.
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I was
born on June 14, 1777, in Philadelphia.
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There
the Continental Congress adopted my stars and stripes as the national
flag.
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My
thirteen stripes alternating red and white, with a union of thirteen
white stars in a field of blue, represented a new constellation, a new
nation dedicated to the personal and religious liberty of mankind.
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Today
fifty stars signal from my union, one for each of the fifty sovereign
states in the greatest constitutional republic the world has ever
known.
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My
colors symbolize the patriotic ideals and spiritual qualities of the
citizens of my country.
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My red
stripes proclaim the fearless courage and integrity of American men
and boys and the self-sacrifice and devotion of American mothers and
daughters.
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My
white stripes stand for liberty and equality for all.
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My blue
is the blue of heaven, loyalty, and faith.
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I
represent these eternal principles: liberty, justice, and humanity.
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I
embody American freedom: freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the
press, and the sanctity of the home.
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I
typify that indomitable spirit of determination brought to my land by
Christopher Columbus and by all my forefathers - the Pilgrims,
Puritans, settlers at James town and Plymouth.
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I am as
old as my nation.
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I am a
living symbol of my nation's law: the Constitution of the United
States and the Bill of Rights.
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I voice
Abraham Lincoln's philosophy: "A government of the people, by the
people,for the people."
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I stand
guard over my nation's schools, the seedbed of good citizenship and
true patriotism.
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I am
displayed in every schoolroom throughout my nation; every schoolyard
has a flag pole for my display.
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Daily
thousands upon thousands of boys and girls pledge their allegiance to
me and my country.
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I have
my own law—Public Law 829, "The Flag Code" - which
definitely states my correct use and display for all occasions and
situations.
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I have
my special day, Flag Day. June 14 is set aside to honor my birth.
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Americans,
I am the sacred emblem of your country. I symbolize your birthright,
your heritage of liberty purchased with blood and sorrow.
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I am
your title deed of freedom, which is yours to enjoy and hold in trust
for posterity.
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If you
fail to keep this sacred trust inviolate, if I am nullified and
destroyed, you and your children will become slaves to dictators and
despots.
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Eternal
vigilance is your price of freedom.
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As you
see me silhouetted against the peaceful skies of my country, remind
yourself that I am the flag of your country, that I stand for what you
are - no more, no less.
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Guard
me well, lest your freedom perish from the earth.
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Dedicate
your lives to those principles for which I stand: "One nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
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I was
created in freedom. I made my first appearance in a battle for human
liberty.
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God
grant that I may spend eternity in my "land of the free and the
home of the brave" and that I shall ever be known as "Old
Glory," the flag of the United States of America.
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