We build on or tear down what has been passed on to us as individuals, as a nation. It is difficult living as we do to realize how we live, the freedom, rights and privileges we have are unknown in most all of history. It is hard not to think this is the norm not the exception. And today we should remember the hundreds of thousands who died to create or preserve that promise. We need to see how fragile it is and to work to maintain it in the face of powers, philosophies and practices that diminish what was earned with blood and sacrifice and treasure. Against all odds. America is not an ideal place, never has been and never will be- nothing dependent on human beings ever will but the genus is that it can adapt, as long as people are free, to remedy issues and vie for the good, the just and the fair. This flag that once flew over Fort Sumter is a symbol of that truth where four long and bloody years of war began that set a significant portion of America’s population on a new course toward dignity and freedom. The men and women who have died in service to this their country deserve honor and thanks that cannot be repaid.
Fort Sumter & Fort Moultrie National Historic Park
