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They’re always out when we need them
This week’s newspaper is full of the kind of stories we don’t like to write – floods, wrecks, hit-and-run accidents ...
The only good thing we can say about the barrage of bad news is that once again it drives home how fortunate we are in Jackson County to have dedicated emergency personnel, law enforcement and volunteer fire and rescue squads.
Saying that they’re always out when we need them is an understatement. Not only are they on the job from the first hint of trouble until the fire is out or the floodwaters subside, they also put in long hours of training and practice to be sure they’re up to whatever job circumstances hand them.
We’re proud of all of them, and we’re grateful that they’re willing to shoulder the burdens and allow the rest of us to sleep peacefully.
Flying our flag
We have another group to thank this week – the dedicated members of the Sylva Lions Club, who have taken responsibility for making sure Old Glory flies on Sylva’s Main Street on all appropriate occasions.
Looking out our windows Tuesday and seeing the red, white and blue proudly waving on a June afternoon made us pause to remember the reason for the display: Flag Day.
The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America’s birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885 when a Wisconsin schoolteacher arranged for pupils to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as “Flag Birthday.”
It’s also appropriate to remember exactly why our forefathers chose the colors that adorn our banner and symbolize our nation.
White was selected to represent purity and innocence; red was picked to symbolize hardiness and valour; and blue because it signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice.
Our flag is a fitting symbol for a nation born out of a struggle to escape tyranny and continues to inspire us today, just as the sight of it flying over Ft. McHenry inspired Francis Scott Key’s immortal words, including these lines from “The Star Spangled Banner” (second verse), which we’d like to echo:
“Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
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