Happy Birthday

"Ragged Old Flag" By John R. Cash (C) 1974 House of Cash, Inc.

I walked through a county courthouse square, On a park bench an old man was sitting there. I said, "Your old courthouse is kinda run down." He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town." I said, "Your old flagpole has leaned a little bit, And that's a Ragged Old Flag you got hanging on it."

He said, "Have a seat," and I sat down. "Is this the first time you've been to our little town?" I said, "I think it is." He said, "I don't like to brag, But we're kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag.

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there when Washington took it across the Delaware. And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key Sat watching it writing Say Can You See. And it got a bad rip in New Orleans With Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams.

"And it almost fell at the Alamo Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on though. She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill. There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg, And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag.

"On Flanders Field in World War I She got a big hole from a Bertha gun. She turned blood red in World War II. She hung limp and low by the time it was through. She was in Korea and Vietnam. She was sent where she was by her Uncle Sam.

"She waved from our ships upon the briny foam, And now they've about quit waving her back here at home. In her own good land here she's been abused -- She's been burned, dishonored, denied, and refused.

"And the government for which she stands Is scandalized throughout the land. And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin, But she's in good shape for the shape she's in. 'Cause she's been through the fire before And I believe she can take a whole lot more.

"So we raise her up every morning, take her down every night. We don't let her touch the ground and we fold her up right. On second thought, I do like to brag, 'Cause I'm mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag."

Happy Birthday America!

Reply to
Jan
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You can hear the above 30 sec clip at

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That was thoughtful of you, a furriner,
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to remember this nation's birthday. Too many of us native born take freedom for granted and look upon patriotism as "corny". The fact that we can air our political views without retribution means that freedom is still alive here. Randall - damn proud to be a freedom loving American

Reply to
Randall Post

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You haven't experienced freedom until you have seen or lived in other countries of the world to compare yours to. If you did, you'd soon learn that the mighty USA unfortunately is not all that 'free' after all. It's just a mental image impregnated into your brain by your government propaganda. Still, you have it better than many others. :)

Not complaining, just making an observation.

Jan

Reply to
Jan

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Point well taken. To paraphrase the French philosopher Voltaire, "I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

-- The Friends of Voltaire, 1906

Randall -- flag-waving American

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did that Brazilian flag get in there? The following report may be more to your liking, Jan, especially the last paragraph. I agree with the author's thesis.
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Reply to
Randall Post

Agreed. The USA isn't as free as it used to be and I'm the process of fixing what is wrong may be worse than the problem...

Tony

Reply to
Anthony W

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