[Pages S8606-S8607]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

TRIBUTE TO ALABAMA STATE AUDITOR BETH CHAPMAN

<bullet> Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I recently had the opportunity to
speak in favor of the constitutional amendment prohibiting the physical
desecration of the flag. I was proud to be a cosponsor of that
amendment, and even though it failed by a vote of 66 to 34, I do not
believe it is an issue that will ``go gentle into that good night,'' to
use the words of poet Dylan Thomas. The flag is the unifying symbol of
our country and all it embodies. Hundreds of thousands have died
fighting to protect what it represents. It seems only logical that we,
as a body, would continue to fight to protect it.
A few days after the Senate vote, I received a copy of a speech
written by Alabama's state auditor, Beth Chapman. It was a speech she
delivered to a meeting of the Alabama Chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution--a group dedicated to promoting patriotism and
preserving American history. I found it to be not only timely, but a
beautifully written and passionate reminder of what the flag represents
and why it should be protected. I ask that the full speech be printed
in the Record.
The material follows.

Flag Day Speech

Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman's address to The state meeting of
the Alabama Chapter of the Daughter's of the American Revolution

The red, white and blue, the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory,
our Standard, the Star Spangle Banner--the American flag--it
has heard the battle cry for freedom and has been the banner
for democracy--it is our sacred symbol of the heart and soul
of our country--our freedom.
It represents the fifty states and the blood of the men and
women who died carrying it--if not on their bodies, in their
hearts and souls as they fought for freedom of a nation--our
nation.
Though tattered and worn, it continued to wave as 6,000
patriots died in the Revolutionary War breaking off the
chains of tyranny from Great Britain.
It survived the Civil War and draped the caskets of many of
the 500,000 total (some brother against brother) who fought
and died defending freedom, though they disagreed on what
that freedom meant--the flag continued to wave in its
defense.
It soared at Gettysburg, unfurled at the Battle of the
Bulge, was blood stained at Kasson, stood watch in the final
hours at Pearl Harbor as hulls of ships and shells of men
floated on the burning waters. It was hoisted by brave
American soldiers at Iwo Jima.
Throughout history it was tested and tried on the beaches
of Normandy and was triumphant on the shores of Tripoli.
It stood for justice's sake though 116,000 Americans fell
in WWI and 405,000 in World War II.
It survived the numbness of frost bite in the Chosin
Reservoir of the Korean Conflict and heard the brassy bugle's
cry of Taps being played for more than 54,000 who lost their
lives.
It proudly but sadly waves today over a wall that bears
only etched names in stone of more than 58,000 faces, hearts,
souls and bodies of the fallen soldiers who died in the
jungles of Vietnam.
It flew for righteousness' sake mounted in the dirt of
Desert Storm as 293 Americans' bodies were killed but their
love for country was not captured, conquered or defeated.
Most recently it saw 1,672 Americans in Operation Iraqi
Freedom die and is has covered the bodies of 190 killed in
Enduring Freedom--yet the flag still endures. It still
waves--restoring the foundations on which America was built
and reminding us of the freedom with which we've been
blessed.
And today it continues to wave, somberly but surely over
the 260,000 brave and courageous veterans whose silent,
sleeping spirits remain in Arlington Cemetery. They defended
our freedom and determined our destiny and the destiny of our
nation. Now they rest in peace while we enjoy the symbolism
of the flag with as much passion as they once felt when they
were defending it.
Many have spit on the flag, buried it and burned it, not
realizing the freedom it represents is what allows them that
right, though no matter how obnoxious and disrespectful it
may be, it supposedly was right.
But what a pity they know not how much innocent blood was
shed so they could have that freedom to express the
bitterness, hatred and disrespect they appear to have for
their own freedom and anything it represents.
Over one million men and women of the United States
Military have died defending what our flag symbolizes, but
others have died simply by living the American Dream which it
represents--2,595 civilians at the World Trade Center on 9-
11, 92 on Flight 11 and 65 on Flight 175, 125 in the
Pentagon, 64 on Flight 77, and 45 on Flight 93--total of
2,986 died on that same tragic day--doing nothing but living
out in their daily lives what our flag stands for--freedom.
They were the innocent victims of evil people and a jealousy
and hatred that comes against such a beloved freedom as ours.
And on that day when our country was at its lowest level,
our spirits had plummeted; we had been wounded worse than at
any time in our great nation--in the very middle of that
ordeal, three exhausted New York Fireman had the foresight,
the vision and the inspiration which could only be fueled
physically by adrenaline, but spiritually and emotionally by
raw patriotism--love of God and country--to hoist an American
flag for all the world, friend and foe alike to see, so they
would know we had not been defeated.
Even in the ruin and rubble, Old Glory was raised and
proudly waved as she had so many times before in peace and
war. She rose up out of the dust, dirt and even fire to
restore the American spirit, which can not be snuffed out as
a burning candle by tragedy or hatred, but is only further
motivated to wave higher and further unfold to spread the
news of freedom and of victory.
It symbolized freedom, hope, and determination of the
American people and the strength of our spirit.
Some have purchased with blood the freedom our flag
represents, other have defended it--and by the grace of God
those of us in this room have been blessed to simply live
under it in the greatest country on the face of the earth.

[[Page S8607]]

And it costs most of us nothing and that's why it should
have our utmost honor and respect. For the same exact flag
many not have been through all the battles, but what it
represents has been, and that is more than anyone person can
say.
The flag has seen it all and survived it all, therefore,
the spirit and freedom which it represents has survived it
all. It is the epitome of the sacred symbol we know it to be.
It stands atop the United States Supreme Court building as
justice attempts to be served; it stands over the United
States Capitol in hopes of good laws being passed and bad
ones being killed.
It stands in schoolyards as children play, over Court
Houses and City Halls as good grassroots government is
hopefully being administered. It drapes the shoulders of our
country's finest athletes as they represent us at the
Olympics.
But let us not forget that it has also left this earth to
represent us, to fly into the Heavens and land on the moon.
It has flown into the wild blue yonder far into the majestic
skies reaching toward the very face of God, only to explode,
and quickly plummet into the sea with the Challenger and the
brave Americans in it.
There is little of our heritage that it has not seen; there
are fewer of our victories, triumphs, and tragedies that it
has not experienced first hand. It has waved at half mast and
at full mast, but it has never ceased to wave.
It is not to be burned or buried, but flown with great
pride and admiration. Some say it is not the flag, but what
it represents that we should honor--I say we cannot honor one
without a pledge of allegiance to the other.
The Pledge of Allegiance nationally debuted in October 1892
on Columbus Day when 12 million children across America
recited it for the first time.
The Pledge of Allegiance has had three major changes:
Originally it read: ``I pledge allegiance to my flag and to
the Republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.''
June 14, 1923, it was revised to ``the flag'' instead of
``my flag'' and the words ``United States'' were added.
One year later it was revised to read ``the flag, of the
United States of America.''
But the most significant change came on Flag Day, June 14,
1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower added these two
simple, but profound words: ``Under God.''
And this is what he said about adding those two words: ``In
this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious
faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall
constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever
will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and
war.''
The Pledge of Allegiance as we know it today is only 31
words packed with pride, honor, loyalty and devotion.
Red Skelton, a brilliant comedic mind of another generation
shared this story on television many years ago. Little did he
know this story would be so poignant and prophetic today. He
shared the story of his teacher Mr. Laswell who came to think
his class was just saying the pledge of allegiance out of
routine so he made a drastic change in their schedule one
day. This is what he said to them:
``I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the
Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it seems as thought it
is becoming monotonous to you. If I may, may I recite it and
try to explain to you the meaning of each word.''
I--me, an individual, a committee of one.
Pledge--dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without
self pity,
Allegiance--my love and devotion
To the flag--our standard, old glory, a symbol of freedom.
Wherever she waves, there's been respect because your loyalty
has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's
job.
United--that means we all have come together.
States--individual communities that have united into 48
great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride
and dignity and purpose; all divided with imaginary
boundaries, yet united to a common purpose and that's love
for country.
And to the Republic--a state in which sovereign power is
invested in representatives chose by the people to govern.
And government is the people and it's from the people to the
leaders, not from the leaders to the people.
For which it stands, one nation--one nation meaning ``so
blessed by God.''
Indivisible--incapable of being divided.
With liberty--which is freedom--the right of power to live
one's life without threats, fear or some sort of retaliation
And justice--the principle or quality of dealing fairly
with others.
For all--which means boys, and girls, it's as much your
country as mine.
Skelton later said since he was a young boy that two states
had been added to our country and that two words had been
added to our pledge--``Under God.''
Then he smiled and said, ``Wouldn't it be a pity if someone
said that (those two words ``Under God'') is a prayer and
they would eliminate it from schools too?
Little did he know that now, many years later, that very
effort has been discussed before the United States Supreme
Court.
Though the words to the Pledge of Allegiance have changed
its purpose, meaning and intent has not.
But the flag still waves and our nation is still one nation
under God and we still live under the banner of democracy and
the flag waves in our churches, school yards, state and
national government buildings and always in our hearts and
homes--because that's where freedom originated and that is
where it must remain.
When we pledge allegiance to our flag, we are making a
commitment, and what we are committed to is what we become as
individual people, and as a nation. The destinies of many
nations have been determined by what their people were
allegiant to--Rome is a good example of that. Let America
never become a Rome.
Our flag is more than three colors of cloth and millions of
pieces of thread sown by hand. It is more than Betsy Ross and
Francis Scott Key. It represents a message of hope and
freedom that is carried in the hearts and souls of the people
of a nation for generations.
I pray today that God will continue to bless this country
and that we may never divorce ourselves from the preservation
of that freedom for which our men and women have died and our
flag still boldly stands.
Now let us stand and with great pride, honor, humility and
resolve--with great enthusiasm, fervor, patriotism, passion
and respect to say our pledge of allegiance together as we
have never said it before.<bullet>

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