::
Defining America ::
Even on the coldest day in March the
sun beats down on the flat Texas land and the thermometer rarely
dips below seventy degrees. Moms set out peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches and screen doors quietly slap in the thick Texas wind.
Saturdays on Randolph Air Force Base are marked by the sounds of
relaxation: children laughing, the dull hum of a lawn mower a couple
of streets away, and the soft rustling of trees.
And this warm Saturday evening was no
different. Several groups of children had gathered outside on
a common lawn for a much awaited soccer game that had been discussed
all week during recess at school. Emotions always run high
when rival neighborhood kids go head-to-head in a soccer dual, and
this game was the heated culmination of months of good-natured but
intense adolescent competition.
Fevers were enraged, hearts pounding,
and sweat was pouring in the thick humid air. And at that particular
point, with a flick of his ankle a sandy-haired 3rd
grader on the underdog team had skillfully maneuvered around two
athletic 5th graders and was now moving dangerously close
to the net of the opposing team. Nothing could stop the
inevitable. The glory was within reach! Only seconds remained
between the silent swoosh of the ball hitting the net!
But instead of cheers rising up from
the adolescent crowd that had gathered by the field, something else
was heard. Something compelling enough to make every child on that
field stop in their tracks, wipe the sweat from their eyes, turn
towards the North, and slowly raise their right hand to their
heart. It was the National Anthem ringing out across the
loudspeakers of the post. And, just as everyday, these children
stopped right along with mothers preparing lunches in their homes,
commanders in their offices, enlisted in their barracks, and those
on duty at their post. And in a collective show of unity, they paid
respect to a few bars and a few stars hanging on the post church –
symbols of much more powerful forces – freedom, courage, and
sacrifice.
For many of us, stories like this one
send chills down our spine. They strike swells of pride in our
hearts and give pause to our often busy and cluttered minds.
In a moment of clarity, they define on an emotional level the often
indefinable: what it is to be an American.
But day by day, what it means to be
an American is being pushed out of our lives – either by force or
just simply because we are too busy to notice. Many of our children
no longer start their day with the Pledge of Allegiance. In some
schools studying the founding fathers is considered too
controversial. The words “Under God” in the Pledge are under
constant scrutiny.
But there are those who recognize
that our national identity means too much to be disregarded and
carelessly rewritten. We understand that entwined in our heritage
is our hope for the future. Defining America is not a subject for
our courts, or even our legislators. The real battles are fought in
the hearts of the people and the manifestations of our pride through
our actions. The battle is being won when a group of passionate
school kids make the conscious decision to stop a heated soccer game
and honor the flag. It is won when Americans make the conscious
decision to remove their hats and sing the National Anthem with
pride. It is won when teachers tell the stories of America’s
history, grandparents share the stories of our forefathers’
sacrifices, and parents take time to visit historical sites with
their children.
By upholding and passing down our
civic history and traditions we preserve our core belief that United
States citizenship is not a right, but an honor. And this honor
transcends race, religion, privilege, or politics, and it is one
that ultimately will continue to determine the character and the
course of our nation.
::
2006 Congressional Summer Page Program ::
Congressman Forbes
invites all interested high school students to submit their
applications for the 2006 Summer Congressional Page Program.
Currently sixty-six top high school students are sponsored by their
Member of Congress to serve as Pages in the U.S. House of
Representatives. These high-achieving students live on Capitol Hill,
attend school, and work directly with legislators as personal
assistants on the floor of the House of Representatives. Several
incumbent and former members of Congress as well as other prominent
Americans have been Congressional Pages.
This program is one of the best ways for young men and women to get
a better understanding of how the federal legislative process works,
and to get a hands-on experience that cannot be obtained in a
classroom setting. This highly competitive program continues to
produce some of our nation’s most influential young leaders.
Guidelines and information packets are being sent to all high school
guidance departments in the Fourth Congressional District. These
packets are also posted in Congressman Forbes’ District offices in
Chesapeake, Colonial Heights and Emporia. Completed materials must
be returned via mail or hand-delivered to any one of Congressman
Forbes’ Congressional offices by March 31, 2006. Late applications
will not be accepted.
Interested students may visit Congressman Forbes’ Student Resources
website at
http://www.house.gov/forbes for official
guidelines. They may also contact Sarah Makin in Congressman Forbes’
Washington, DC office at (202) 225-6365 for more information.
|
ON
THE HILL ....
|
Current
Floor Proceedings
Bills
Coming Up This Week
Monthly
Whip Calendar |
OFFICE
LOCATIONS ....
|
307 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202.225.6365
505 Independence Pkwy, Suite 104
Chesapeake, VA 23320
757.382.0080
2903 Boulevard, Suite B
Colonial Heights, VA 23834
804.526.4969
425 H. South Main Street
Emporia, VA 23847
434.634.5575
|
|