Raise The Flag Higher

The ideals of a country are only as good as the people who give it flesh and blood.

George Takei
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Well, here we are in our 234th year, or is it 235th, and still an independent nation. The United States of America was founded, among other things, on important documents. One of those is our constitution. The Constitution begins "We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union...."

That document is what binds us together as members of free and lasting society. Yet over the years, for one reason or another, people have tried to misinterpret, change or even throw out the document. What happened to "the more perfect Union"?

When I was a youngster in school, there was a practical joke students liked to play on each other. Someone would slap you on the back in a seeming act of friendship only to tape a sign to your back saying "kick me" or "i'm stupid" or some other silly remark. Sometime teachers would enjoy the joke, and make you parade around the classroom passing out papers or something, so that everyone could get a chance to read it before you knew it was there.

With all the back biting and name calling going on in Congress these days I'm surprised they haven't taken to taping signs on each other. Maybe no one has thought of it yet.

I've lived in this country for 71 years and I'm proud to be an American. But I'm not proud of the intolerance, bigotry, bias, prejudice, racism, sexism, antisemitism, islamophobia, homophobia, extremism, fanatical conservatives, fanatical liberals, religious exclusivity, hate crimes, plundering of the poor by the rich, denial of civil rights, litigiousness, selfishness and bellicosity that I see, hear and read about every day.

People want to "take back the country" but only in their own vision of it. The vision is in The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. I look for compassion, understanding and friendship among Americans, "a more perfect Union."

DB
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Weekend Puzzle

no attempts so far?

A minimalist cryptogram

B'S GHH GH1 TXTPE P.M.

GHH GH1 ZTTHBFI AZURE

1L'O CATPT U R & AYC U R

& BZ U R GHH GH1 2.

BPXBFI NTPHBF

(G L)
DB