America Honored

Last night the Town received an American flag from Major Andrew Camp. He served in Iraq and the flag that was presented flew over Iraq.

Thank you to Major Camp and all the other soldiers who are serving or who have served.

Separately, today is Flag Day. Our Flag means so much to so many people in so many ways. I think one of the most vivid memories I have is of the American Flag. It was June 2000 and I had decided to see the middle east for myself to learn some of the history, so that I could understand the present and have some ideas for the future.

I was visiting Beirut, Lebanon. And I had decided to travel to south Lebanon; from where Israel had just recently withdrawn. I wanted to see for myself. And while there's a bit of a story, my point here is about the flag.

On my trip south, I drove by an American flag painted on a wall. The flag was normal for the most part... stars n stripes... or so I thought... until I looked closer. The stars were actually images of the skull n crossbones. It was very powerful. And it was not something that I appreciated. But it was very much the reason I had come, to see if the press accounts were true. And they were true. I saw with my own two eyes the hatred that some harbor toward America.

Tim White