Flashback #1- to a typical morning of a Honduran student. It all begins with all the school members, teachers, students, and the principal lining up to sing the national anthem. Students had to sing and stand firm with their right hand on their heart, saluting the flag, while one teacher would walk around to see if they were standing properly. Singing the national anthem was no joke, teachers and the principal would give lectures about showing respect to the flag. I remember singing the national anthem with so much pride, just like my other classmates.
Flashback #2- to a typical morning of an American student. This begins with the principal speaking through the speaker, students rise up to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and listen to the national anthem; however, no such enthusiasm on showing respect. I remember being a little confused about this, I was raised to show high respect to a national symbol, but here things were different.
But these flashbacks go far beyond than showing respect to a national symbol, and this is the part the bothers me the most, the lack of respect toward our true heroes, national heroes. I think is important to be patriotic, there is a phrase in Spanish that says “El que no ama a su patria, no ama a su madre”, whoever doesn’t love their country, doesn’t love their mother. Loving one’s country means to show respect and honor to what brings pride to the country. Police officers, firefighters, soldiers are fighting to protect a country and its citizens. Every time there is news about civilians disrespecting them gets me really angry, how can someone disrespect the people who are here to protect them, unacceptable. They are literally putting their lives at risk for us to be safe, the least we can do is to honor them. Whoever disrespects them doesn’t deserve them. Those who serve our country truly deserve to be respected and honor, God bless our true Heroes.
” O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? ” —Louis Daniel Armstrong
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