A Thought on Patriotism

I believe in America. I believe it became great because of its faith in God, its hope for independence and its love for freedom. I am grateful for America's glorious past: I am awed by its unbelievable present; I am confident of its limitless future. I am not ashamed to take my hat off and to stand at attention when Old Glory passes by. I do not apologize for the lump in my throat when I repeat the Pledge of Allegiance. I am not embarrassed by the tears in my eyes when I hear "The Star Spangled Banner." Like millions of Americans, I want a free choice, not a free handout. I prefer an opportunity to prove my abilities on the job rather than a license to demonstrate my frustrations in the street. I am an old-fashioned American with a new-found determination to do my part to make Democracy work. -William Arthur Ward