Today fifty stars signal from my union, one for each of the fifty sovereign states in the greatest constitutional republic the world has ever know. My colors symbolize the patriotic ideals and spiritual qualities of the citizen of my county. My red stripes proclaim the fearless courage and integrity of American men and boys and the self-sacrifice and devotion of American mothers and daughters. My white strips stand for liberty and equality for all. My blue is the blue of heaven, loyalty, and faith. I represent these eternal principles: liberty, justice and humanity. I embody American freedom: freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the press, and the sanctity of the home. As you see me silhouetted against the skies of my country, remind yourself that I am the flag of your country, that I stand for what you are - no more, no less. Dedicate your lives to these principles for which I stand: “One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. I was created in freedom. I made my first appearance in a battle for human liberty. God grant that I may spend eternity in my “land of the free and the home of the brave” and that I shall ever be known as “Old Glory,” the flag of the United States of America. By: Ruth Apperson