[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6278]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   WHAT THE AMERICAN FLAG MEANS TO ME

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                            HON. TOM LATHAM

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 13, 2003

  Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I wish to share with my colleagues an essay 
written by Jefferson Brown, a constituent of mine from Mason City, IA. 
Jefferson is a 12-year-old 6th grader at Roosevelt Middle School in 
Mason City. He recently won an award from the Elks Lodge in Mason City 
and will soon be traveling to the State Capital in Des Moines to 
compete in a state-wide competition. I submit his award-winning essay 
for the Record.

       The American flag means many things to me. It symbolizes 
     pride, joy, strength, and ability. These all come from the 
     flag of the great country we live in.
       The flag symbolizes pride, the pride of our country, 
     ourselves, and pride for our flag of America. It gives hope, 
     it gives us pride, the flag is a symbol of our pride in our 
     country.
       The flag represents joy for the heroes who stood tall 
     defending our country. Joy when the warriors came home to us 
     all. The joy of one, the joy of all is in the flag that flies 
     high above us, the flag stands for joy in America.
       Strength is in the flag, and the strength is in the hearts 
     of all the American people. The strength is in our army, 
     strength in those who lost a loved one on those days when we 
     stood tall. The strength is in one; the strength is in all, 
     it is in America; that stands tall.
       Last but not least, ability. The flag stands for ability. 
     Ability is in all of us, it is what we do. We are better at 
     some things than others. Some of us can run or jump better 
     then others, or we can draw or write better; but the point is 
     that we all must bring our abilities together just as if we 
     were colors on the American flag, the colors come together to 
     make the flag. Just as we must, all united as one.

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