Still a hopeful sight after 179 years. never faded. ever bright. That hope is just as real today. as it was on that long ago morning shared with us by Francis Scott Key so eloquently in his own words. The same Star Spangled Banner. flying in foreign countries. has carried the promise to millions of refugees--over two centuries--fleeing foreign tyrants--seeking asylum. seeking freedom. I. personally. have boen told by refugees from behind the old Iron Curtain. of how. when they finally reached an American Embassy. looking up at the Stars and Stripes. they fell to their knees. thanking God for all it represented to them. The most awesome part of this representation is our responsibility. as citizens. to guarantee that the U.S. flag continues to represent a nation that is the "best and brightest hope of mankind." as President Ronald Reagan said. It has always struck me that this oldest of all continuous democracies presented a greater threat to tyrantsby its very existencethan it did by all its weaponry.
Keywords matched
refugees seeking asylum