Welcome to Freedom Week on 2TheHeart! Freedom is not an unlimited license, an unlimited choice, or an unlimited opportunity. Freedom is first of all a responsibility before the God from whom we come. ~Alan Keyes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A BEAUTIFUL page created by gifted poet, Francine Pucillo, honoring the Pledge of Allegiance. Start your week off with this breathtaking creation! http://poetry-emotion.com/Patriotic/Pledge_Of_Allegiance.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Happy Canada Day to our neighbors to the north and happy Independence week to our American members! This week I am introducing you to a couple of new writers, as well as sharing stories and poetry from 2theheart favorite authors! This July Fourth is an especially meaningful one after September 11th, and I hope the selections this week will bring that home to you. God bless! "Yesterday's Warrior" by Bob G. Shaw Over the last few weeks, I'd been talking to a young man who was waiting for his reporting date to join the Marine Corps. He would ask me questions about what he was going to face, and, although I had not been a Marine, I could draw on my past experience of boot camp, and answer some of his questions. I gave him a few tips on study habits, physical training, and behavioral guidelines, hoping they would be of use, and not too outdated. I knew one thing would not have changed. What ever the Marines put into the boy, would last the man a lifetime. As I was making a delivery to the store, I noticed he had come by to say his good byes. Time had gone by a bit quicker than I had thought, plus the events of the week had taken the attention of everyone. With the attack on the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon, it was a suprise to see him there, and ready to leave so soon. He came over as soon as he saw me, and held out his hand, and told me he was on his way. After a little small talk, I smiled and told him "Go get `em". With a crooked grin, a small nod of his head, and a gleam in his eye, he said "yes Sir", and was on his way. I slowly went on about my business, giving some thought to the scheme of events that had just taken place. It was difficult trying to put my feelings into perspective. Probably the best way to describe them was the passing of the torch. I knew that if duty called, I would go again. God..Flag..and Country. But here was tomorrow's warrior... smarter, stronger, with the look of something familiar... like looking into the eyes of a past generation. I liked what I saw. The torch had been passed down... and Liberty's Light was in good hands. With a damp eye, Yesterday's Warrior smiled. Bob Shaw  copyright 2002 Caperabbit@prodigy.net Bob and wife Ronni live in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Bob is a part time writer, and full time driver for Lewis Baking Company, Bunny Bread. Watch for more of Bob's stories in the future! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An organization called www.millionsofamericans.com is starting a petition drive calling for a new Constitutional Amendment which would make permanent the current wording of the Pledge of Allegiance. If you would like to sign this petition online (which will then go to members of Congress) click on this link: http://www.millionsofamericans.com/home/pledge.cfm  More information is also provided there about this effort and the court ruling. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Letter Box: Dear Susan.... what a wonderful story by Sue Henley  today - she expressed my thoughts 100%. And certainly do appreciate the flag graphics that you provided for us. I have frequently wondered when saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, if there was a comma in the phrase "one Nation under God" and according to what I found out yesterday, there is NOT.  So many people pause while saying it, that they must think there is.  My habit is to say it purposely without a pause and sometimes, I am almost by myself! Thanks, Susan for "2theHeart" and best of luck on your riding endeavor!.... Blessings, Joanne Apel Thank you, Rita, for designing the flags to share with us all.  And thank you, Susan, for including them on the 2TheHeart site.  I am passing them along to my friends, some of whom are veterans themselves, or married to veterans.  I know they will appreciate it.   There hasn't been much said at work about the pledge rulings of the past few days.  I think most of us have agreed to just keep saying the pledge as we have always done, including God in the pledge as we include Him in our daily lives.  We know how bountiful His blessings can be, and are thankful for those blessings, from the smallest to the largest.   God Bless those who are fighting to keep our pledge in tact, and God Bless those, like Rita, who are stepping out and showing their intentions by designing and sharing such a wonderful graphic. Lucy Sue Henley, AMEN!! I agree whole heartily.. I was thinking how in grade school I had to memorize The Pledge (I am 44)  I thought it was something special.  I feel like this: When we recite the pledge.. it is a personal thing. We are ALL pledging to "our" Country.. "our" God be it the catholic faith, protestant faith etc. At a time we need some kind of strength and faith.. It is being taken away. Our country certainly needs to get a grip and try working together.. rather than tearing it apart for their own gains... It is time we (the little people) had a chance at life and the pursuit of "SOME" kind of happiness. Laura Specie pridemom@webtv.net Sue, God Bless You...I couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks for putting into words how I am sure so many of us feel about the Pledge of Allegiance. I respect my country, my flag and whatever religon a person might believe in but we are ONE Nation Under GOD. Jane Ludwig ludferg@aol.com Sue Henley, Amen and Amen  may all Christians take a stand  to stop this ridiculous  law of a one person  or small groups so called right to not believe in God. I grew up going to a catholic school and the lord's prayer for catholics is shorter than for a christian  but   silently I wou;ld finish that prayer  because it's in the Word . It's how The Lord taught us to pray why must the Pledge of Allegiance be changed  tell them to just be silent . That is a better answer than rewriting the law and the Pledge of Allegiance . I will continue to teach my children church class and my grandchildren  the  pledge of allegiance as is. I will also be praying for those  Judges.  As the Lord leads  I will be fasting as well.  May God  be merciful to the Judges that try to take God out of America. Thank you  and God Bless you Elaine Cohoon Jesuslovesme0421@aol.com Re: Under God... You Bet!" I was inspired by the article, although I don't need too much inspiration to feel the same way. What I am wondering is this, the man who is offended by the fact that God is mentioned in the Pledge of Allegiance, I would be so curious as to see what his thoughts are about our America's currency.  Since our money mentions "In God We Trust" I wonder if that offends him too? People who create problems like this in our country are so few and yet they carry the sword that can make these conservative Judges rule in their favor. I simply can't understand it.  We the People, are the voices that should be heard, not that of an insignificant man who has no beliefs, why should we as Americans subjected to the rantings of a man who is just seeking publicity, pretty much like Larry Flint, who because of the Constitution's words can make the pornographic filth in this country be protected by the First Amendment rights. When the Constitution was written who knew that down the road this wording could be construed so that it would make Judges make decisions that totally ruin our ideals for a peaceful coexistence with God and country. I shall always pledge allegiance to God and my country, they are one in the same to me. All the best to you Francine Pucillo franiap@aol.com Three big thank you's to: *Sue Henley for writing a VERY inspirational and timely story *Rita Spillers for making a "flag with a statement" *Susan Fahncke for providing 2TheHeart as a vehicle for "Making a difference, one story at a time"   Rita, I have taken the liberty of using your flag at the top of my web site located at www.thane.com  This web site gets more than thirty-thousand visitors PER DAY, and I'm making sure ALL of them will see the flag you've designed.  In addition, when you click on the flag, it brings up a box containing the words to the Pledge of Allegiance.    Being very involved in the internet business community, I know the key people managing dozens of web sites with millions of visitors per day.  I am spreading the word to all of them about what I've done, and asking them all to do the same!  (I've just confirmed my friends at www.youcansave.com will be adding it by the end of the day, and I just heard from the head of Internet Service at Hewlett-Packard who is going to try to put it on www.hp.com as well!)   I hope these efforts will start a wildfire of "One Nation Under God" flags on web sites around the world!   Way to go ladies for being the spark!   Marty Fahncke marty@thaneinc.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   www.2theheart.com Making a difference, one story at a time! 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