When we were in nursery school, every now and again, the teacher would hand each of us a little flag. We kids would pair up in twos, holding hands, and parade down the sidewalk around the block, waving our flags under blue skies with puffy clouds. The school was in a residential area here in Lafayette, Louisiana - it was in a house where three rooms were used for classes, and there was a separate area with a kitchen, bath, bedroom, and parlor for the owner. Huge hydrangea bushes were covered with lavender-blue blooms. Hula hoops had just become popular, and we gathered on the driveway near the carport to play at recess.

The American flag - stars and stripes - like a family member - was at times most dear to the heart, at times worrisome. By the time I was in high school, there were photos in newspapers and film on TV showing flags behind the President and the Generals and flags being burned at angry demonstrations. The Vietnam War era was characterized by strife, assassinations, and a large percentage of citizens feeling uncomfortable about their country. The drafting of men 18 and older, the use of Agent Orange (chemically defoliating large areas of Vietnam), incidents such as My Lai, and the way in which we exited the war were controversial, to put it mildly.

The U.S. has a most elegant and humanistic design. The Constitution (a descendant of the Magna Carta), focuses on human rights. Power is shared by three arms of the government: the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and the Congress (representing the citizens). Ideally, this prevents hasty decision making and enhances the wisdom of those decisions that are made. We are awkward regarding our military, the governance of our non-human resources, and our relations with those who live outside our country, with whom we share the planet.

Compared to many other parts of the world, we are still a very young country. Our roots, though, are strong, and the U.S.A.'s built-in respect for the individual's right to 'pursuit of happiness', while acknowledging the needs of the community, is something of great value, and worth protecting.

Image taken in Austin, Texas, June 7, 2012.