[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 21, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S5547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING ELIZABETH McGARR

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I think we all agree how important it is 
for our young people to understand the history of our nation and how 
the events of the past have helped to shape our country today and will 
continue to shape it in the future.
  On August 3, 1949, Congress designated June 14 as Flag Day. Last 
week, a Dallas Morning News editorial reminded us of the origins and 
meaning of this national day of commemoration. Flag Day was established 
to ensure that each year on that day we recall our nation's proud 
history and its role as a symbol of freedom and democracy to our 
citizens and to people around the world fighting for justice. I was 
much surprised to discover that this editorial, written with great 
wisdom and eloquence, was penned by Elizabeth McGarr, an intern at the 
Dallas Morning News in her first week with the newspaper.
  America is a diverse and culturally rich country, but as Elizabeth 
points out in her editorial, we are all able to unite around the flag 
and celebrate our commitment to the ideals embodied in the Declaration 
of Independence: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Elizabeth, 
who has just graduated from the Hockaday School in Dallas and will 
attend the University of Texas in the fall, is an outstanding role 
model for her peers and every American.
  I ask unanimous consent that Elizabeth McGarr's editorial be entered 
into the Record.
  There being no objection, the editorial was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             [From the Dallas Morning News, June 14, 2000]

        Flag Day: Celebration Has Evolved Over Nation's History

       On June 14, 1777, almost a year after the Declaration of 
     Independence was signed, the Continental Congress proposed 
     that we should display our own flag instead of flying the 
     British Union Jack. Our own national flag. One that would 
     symbolize the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that 
     the Founders emphasized in the Declaration of Independence. 
     One that would represent America through battles foreign and 
     domestic, through victories and defeats.
       Each year on June 14, on Flag Day, we celebrate the 
     ``birthday'' of our nation's flag.
       On the 100th anniversary, in 1877, Old Glory flew outside 
     every government building to honor the adoption of a national 
     flag. Philadelphia observed the first official Flag Day in 
     1893, and New York followed suit in 1897. In 1916, President 
     Wilson proclaimed June 14 National Flag Day, and some states 
     and communities did celebrate this anniversary of the Flag 
     Resolution of 1777. Yet it wasn't until 1949 that President 
     Harry S. Truman finally authorized June 14 as Flag Day 
     nationwide.
       The American flag is one of the most complex flags to make, 
     as evidenced by the 64 pieces of fabric needed to put it 
     together. Its red, white, and blue parts stand for courage, 
     purity and justice, respectively.
       But on Flag Day, we celebrate more than the colorful cloth. 
     We celebrate our struggles, trials, travails and victories 
     from the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli. And 
     most important, America celebrates all that the country has 
     accomplished and all that it can achieve with a positive 
     attitude and an optimistic spirit.
       Often concerned with political correctness or societal 
     standards, we too quickly judge people on the basis of skin 
     color, religion or background. In truth, we are more alike 
     than we are different. Is there a more united scene than a 
     crowd of people at a baseball game removing their hats for 
     ``The Star Spangled Banner,'' or schoolchildren placing their 
     hands over their hearts to recite the Pledge of Allegiance? 
     Where the Stars and Stripes is concerned, we are as united as 
     can be, and on this June 14, we celebrate our devotion to 
     country and the patriotic unity that arises when witnessing 
     Old Glory wave in the wind.

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