It All Started in Montrose!
The Congress of the United States, by Joint Resolution on June 9, 1966, approved H.J. Resolution 763 proclaiming the week in which June 14 occurs as National Flag Week. The same Resolution requested that the President is to issue every year a proclamation and also to call upon citizens of the United States to display the flag during this week.
The origin of Flag Week is very special because it originated in Montrose through the hard work of Bill Bailey, Don Carpenter, Congressman H. Allen Smith, the Crescenta Cañada Rotary Club and my father Vito Cannella back in the ’60s. Nurtured by their love of country and gratitude of those who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s symbol, the American flag, this group had a desire to contribute something positive to the fabric of our country during the difficult Vietnam War era. They dreamed of a national movement to convince Congress and the President to join them in their love for the flag. From humble origins and the small town efforts of our community, they collected thousands upon thousands of signatures across our state, this dream got the attention of the United States Congress and passed in a joint session and was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966. So for the last 59 years we ask the citizens of our nation to give recognition and respect for our flag by asking that we honor our flag more than just one day on the national calendar (June 14), but put aside a whole week to honor the flag and ask that all citizens fly our flag for that week.
This cause was very important to my dad Vito Cannella. Every year since 1967 he would write each President reminding them of their duty to issue the proclamation and every year he got a response from the White House indicating that they would. My father passed away in 2017 and one of the things we talked about prior to his death was his wish that the story of Flag Week not be forgotten as he was the last of the originating supporters. I promised him I would carry his message reminding our community of its history and connection to our hometown. I wrote that letter to President Trump and will remind all of you to fly your flag the week of June 14. That is the purpose of my letter today.
God Bless America.
Grace Chase
Montrose
Censorship: From Fiction to Reality
Modern limiting of rights in the U.S. education system inevitably leads to issues with censorship and oppression. Censorship is a detrimental problem, even in our community. In past years, GUSD considered removing “To Kill a Mockingbird.” It was read by many 10th-grade students this year and it proved to be very insightful in the students’ eyes. Through this novel, various classmates learned the sorrows of racism, gender roles, societal expectations and social injustice. If these topics were removed from the classroom, it could unintentionally be detrimental to future generations and possibly make fiction become reality.
The reasons for considering removing books are of pure intentions, such as the argument that the material may be too graphic and harmful to certain groups, or perhaps it’s too insensitive or deemed irrelevant. But we argue that these topics in “To Kill a Mockingbird” and literature like it are relevant today and important to learn about and discuss. When asking students to explain the Civil Rights Movement, students come to a pause. We quote one student describing, “There was segregation among races … a march was led by MLK, then a speech was made … then there wasn’t any more segregation.” Maybe total segregation isn’t relevant today, but traces of it still remain. The Black Lives Matter Movement started when the shooting of Trayvon Martin, a Black teenager, enraged American citizens.
This started protests, policy changes and community organizing aimed at addressing racial injustice and police brutality.
This is our reality, but a fictional piece like “To Kill a Mockingbird” addresses this issue exactly and lets readers realize the traumatic truths it teaches. The racial injustice of something so trivial yearns to be heard and studied so that it cannot be repeated. It’s our duty not to let these injustices proceed because where will that lead us?
Overall, without discussing these issues through our schooling, generations to come will not be able to revamp and resist the fatal flaws of human deficiency.
Emma Petersen
Kinley Lomond
Lilian Issagholian
La Crescenta