We salute the flag of the United States of America and the Republic for which it stands. The Founders created a republic, and republics throughout history have always depended on citizen duty and public participation.
John Kennedy’s call to do something for our country and Barack Obama’s insistence that we “seize gladly” performance of our duties to our nation come directly out of that ancient heritage.
This is not a liberal nor a conservative idea. Duty is a patriotic idea, an idea that extends well beyond military service in wartime. It includes paying reasonable taxes for demanded public services. It includes commitment to the “noble ideal” of equality and justice for all, usually described as America’s promise.
President Obama simply reminds us that we live in a republic that insists that we earn our rights by performance of our duties.
Former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart lives in Kittredge.
