[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10889]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 HONORING THE AMERICAN FLAG ON FLAG DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN E. SWEENEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 14, 2000

  Mr. SWEENEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, on Flag Day, to pay tribute 
to the American flag, our most cherished symbol of freedom and 
democracy.
  ``Old Glory'' has stood as a symbol of our patriotic resolve through 
times of peace and war. The earliest version of the American flag was 
carried at the battle of Saratoga in my district, which was the turning 
point of the Revolutionary War. The flag has symbolized our democratic 
ideals on hundreds of battlefields since Saratoga. It inspired great 
Americans in places like Gettysburg, San Juan Hill, Iwo Jima, Inchon, 
Saigon, Kuwait City, and countless other sites around the globe. 
Thousands of Americans paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend the ideals 
symbolized by this great flag. Let us pause for a moment to recognize 
their sacrifice and the flag they successfully defended.
  Today, our distinguished flag acts as an ambassador of liberty and 
opportunity to those who suffer under oppressive regimes in far away 
places. For those whose freedom has been stripped away, the flag stands 
as a reminder of a compassionate ally. Our flag undeniably represents 
the supremacy of freedom and democracy over oppression and tyranny.
  The stars and stripes are the pre-eminent symbol of the broad 
freedoms established by our Constitution. It is yours and mind, and all 
American's to guard and protect . . . and to respect.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in saluting our glorious flag on Flag 
Day. God bless our flag and this great Nation.

                          ____________________