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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">My four year old grandson doesn’t miss a
trick.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He noticed me preparing to
hang our flag outside one morning.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>To discourage inappropriate flag waving (like throwing the flag up in the
air or chasing the dogs with it), I explained what the flag
meant.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">First, I told him we live in a country called
the United States.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Most four year
olds probably know what house or apartment they live in, but have a difficult
time imagining a place which seems to have no boundaries.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">Then I told him that the flag meant that he
lived in the United States.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I
showed him the 50 stars and the 13 stripes.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I told him that the flag was very
important to people who live in this country.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I told him we love our flag and give it
lots of respect.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">“Oh, I see, Grandma,” Boogie would say after
each of my statements.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I’m not sure
how much he absorbed from that little lecture, but as we were hanging the flag
outside, Boogie began to notice all the flags in our neighborhood.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And, hopefully, the flag will have some
meaning to him today, as he’ll see red, white, and blue
everywhere.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">As he gets older, he’ll realize we live in
the greatest country in the world.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>We have water to drink, way too much food (notice all the fat butts),
homes, schools, doctors, and colleges.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">In spite of prejudice, our nation is woven by
the fabric of people from other nations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>My great, great grandparents came here from Denmark, Norway, England, and
Germany.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Now we have immigrants
from Somalia, Laos, Mexico, and Ethiopia.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>These new immigrants are bringing in fresh blood, new ideas, new ways of
living, and yet they are eager to adopt “American ways” just like my great,
great grandparents did.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The melting
pot continues to be stirred.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">America’s air breathes in freedom.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We have freedom to protest.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Yes, I think Bush is a moron.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I hate watching the news at night and
seeing what he’s done to Iraq.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I
cringe when I hear about all the money the Democrats and Republicans are raising
for the next presidential election and realize politics isn’t about living our
ideals, but about dollars and cents and who can buy the most
influence.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">Where are the weapons of mass
destruction?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Where is Saddam
Hussein?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Where is Osama bin
Laden?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Why is the jobless rate the
highest it’s been in nine years?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Why does Bush want to drill in Alaska?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Why does our Attorney General John
Ashcroft want to erode our freedoms?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Does Colin Powell really believe half the crap he says?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And will someone prevent John Rumsfeld
from getting in front of a TV camera?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">I can write and say these things without fear
of the FBI banging down my door, because I live in the United States.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The darkest time I can remember is
Watergate.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I was in high school and
we watched the Watergate hearings on TV.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>People really felt the country was going to collapse.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But our Constitution held and the United
States went about its business.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">My grandson is going to a little
4<SUP>th</SUP> of July parade today.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>He’ll see lots of flags waving (appropriately!).<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Maybe he’ll even get a little flag to
wave for himself.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And, maybe, just
maybe, he has the beginnings of the knowledge of what the United States really
is.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And where he lives.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And how lucky he is to live
here.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Margaret R.
Kramer<BR>margaretkramer@earthlink.net<BR><BR><A
href="http://www.polarispublications.com/"
target=_blank>http://www.polarispublications.com</A><BR>Be a star!</SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A
href="http://www.skywaybpw.org/">http://www.skywaybpw.org</A></SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Skyway Business and Professional
Women</SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Working women connecting.</SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A
href="http://www.bpwmn.org/">http://www.bpwmn.org</A></SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Business and Professional Women of
Minnesota</SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Bush is a "President who has no
foresight, who cannot think properly, and wants to plunge the world into a
holocaust."</SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><EM>~Nelson
Mandela</EM> </SPAN></P>
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face=Verdana size=2></FONT> </P></FONT>
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