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There can never be deep peace between two spirits,
never mutual respect,
until, in their dialogue,
each stands for the whole world.
The Dove of Peace flies from site to site,
through as many countries as possible.
It does not belong to ANY belief system.
Please help it make a line around the globe
by taking it with you to your site,
by giving it to someone for their site,
by passing it on to another continent,
or to the conflict areas of the world...
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Let us pray for all those who have been injured or killed,
and for the families and friends
who may be injured or have lost their lives.
Let us pray as well as for our nation's leaders.
Let us pray for the emergency personnel
who are risking their lives.
Let us pray for our military personnel
as they move to defend our country.
Let us display a concerted effort
to be considerate66"of the feelings and emotions
of our fellow friends,
and understanding of the stress
they are feeling at this time.
Let us put aside our petty differences
as we join together in our grief.
Let us also be thankful for the things
we have and hold so dear..
our inalienable rights and freedoms
and the love and support of our friends
from around the world.
Let us not forget the many lives of our allies
who were so tragically lost in this horrific attack
not only against America,but against ALL free nations.
Thank you to all who have offered their love, their support,
and their continuing beliefs in Freedom For All!
God bless each and every one of you.
~Country~
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To those who think you killed our spirit today
~ you didn't ~
To those who think you can make us yield
~ you can't ~
To those who think we will run scared
~ we won't ~
To those who think we won't find you
~ WE WILL ~
You only strengthened our determination.
The Eagle still flies; the flag still waves.
We will forever stand Tall, Proud and United.
We are Americans.
In God we Trust!
~ Author Unknown ~
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This candle will burn until every Terrorist is Gone..
until we can once more live with Peace and Freedom.
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In light of the recent appeals court ruling in California, with respect to the Pledge of Allegiance, the following recollection from Senator John McCain is very appropriate..
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"The Pledge of Allegiance"
~ Senator John McCain ~
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As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room. This was,as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home.
one of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian. Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama.He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School.
Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country and our military provide for people who want to work and want to succeed.
As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed on the inside of his shirt.
Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the most important and meaningful event.
one day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically,and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it. That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours. Then, they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could..
The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room. As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to Pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.
So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance, you must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our nation and promote freedom around the world. You must remember our duty, our honor, and our country..
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"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
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Kate Smith
'God Bless America'
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