Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Quote of the Week “Once you think you've got it all together, you forget where you put it." - Mary Spruill Page 6 TOt 03111 CCOCk Wednesday, June 14,2000 Cby Ann Marie Miani ETCETERA EDITOR » ur country celebrates several patriotic holidays during the year, including Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day. The birthday of the American flag, known as Flag Day, is very under-appreciated and taken for granted. The symbolism behind the nation’s flag points to freedom, pu rity and liberty. Now as we celebrate the birth of the American flag, we should remember what the it stands for and how we would not have all the freedoms we do without it. Congress adopted the star-and-stripes pattern as the nation al flag of the United States on June 14,1777. This replaced the British Union Jack that was being used. The flag’s centennial in 1877, marked the first celebrated Flag Day. That day, all government buildings and schools flew the flag. The first offical Flag Day was celebrated in 1893 in Philadelphia, Pa. New York proclaimed Flag Day as June 14, since it was when the first design was adopted. In 1944, Harry S.Truman was the first president to proclaim Flag Day as a national holiday. It has been one ever since. Organizations such as the American Legion and The Veterans of Foreign Wars celebrate Flag Day with enthusiasm. “Flag Day is a big day for us. We encourage people and busi nesses to fly the flag on Flag Day. It’s part of our Americaniza tion program,” said Jim Hawk, American Legion Department ad jutent. He also said that all American Legion posts are encouraged to fly the flag. L.u:----—--i-1 Ann Marie Miani The Gamecock The flag of the United States of America has gone through many design changes in the past 223 years, but one thing has remained constant. What the Flag stands for - freedom, uni ty, and right and privileges of Americans. The original design of the flag consisted of 13 alternating red and white stripes, with a blue field in the upper left-hand comer containing 13 white stars in a circle representing the new states. The most popular myth about the flag’s origin is that a Philadel phia seamstress, Betsy Ross, came up with the design and pre sented it to George Washington. Although the Ross family main tains the story to be true, it is unlikely. Another possible designer is Francis Hopkinson, a New Jer sey delegate to the Continental Congress. Hopkinson was a renowned designer. A record containing a bill was given to Congress by Hop kinson for $2700. The bill was for the designs of the currency, the Great Seal of the United States, the Treasury Seal, and the de sign for a flag. in laier years, ijeorge wasiungioii purirayeu me nag a euiur» and designs as symbolic of America. The royal blue field stands for freedom and justice. The white stars represent purity, liberty and freedom. The red stripes sym bolize the blood of the Americans who died in the Revolution, while the white stripes denote the purity and serenity of the na tion. The stripes symbolize the original 13 states and the stars stand for each state in the union. As the country grew in size, a dilemma arose. When Vermont and Kentucky were admitted to the union in the early 1790s, Con gress passed a resolution that changed the flag’s design to 15 stars and stripes. As more and more states were admitted to the union, the flag went through more design changes. Finally in 1818, Congress sta bilized the number of stripes to 13 and allowed a star to be added for each state that was admitted. This clarified any further design problems. So as you go about your day, just remember the people who died so that you could have your freedom. The Hatfields and McCoys gather tor reunion by Kimberly Hefling Associated Press Pikeville, Ky. - The deep hatred that once ex isted between the Hatfields and McCoys was missing Friday on the first day of a joint family reunion between the families famous for feud ing. “You’re a real Hatfield? Well, Fm a real Mc Coy,” said Jeff McCoy, of Ney, Ohio, as he shook hands with Walter Hatfield, of Evansville, Ind., inside the Pikeville tourism office. “It’s nice to meet you." Their encounter was typical, as feud de scendants from all over the country registered Friday for the three-day event. The reunion’s main events begin Saturday and include a driving tour to feud sites, an arts and crafts festival with bluegrass music and lec tures and drama about the feud. There’s also some friendly competition planned. The families are expected to take each oth er on during a softball game Saturday and a tug-of-war match Sunday in the Tug River. Joshing between the families had already started by lunchtime Friday. “You guys are smarter than the other Mc Coys I’ve met,” Johnie McCoy, a retired paint contractor from Tryon, Okla., recalled Jerry Hat field, of Texarkana, Texas, saying earlier in the day at a Pikeville restaurant. “I said he was nowhere good-looking enough to be a McCoy.” Many descendants say they hope the reunion - with thousands projected to attend - will help bring tourism dollars to the economically de pressed region. Others say they want to help end stereotypes of the Appalachian region and their families that stem partially from the feud more than 100 years ago. The 19th-century shooting war between the two families that left 12 people dead and ce mented the image of Appalachia as a place full of hillbillies with guns. “We’d like to show people we’re not igno rant hillbillies,” said Jerry Hatfield, photogra pher for the event. “We’d like to say the feud is over and it’s been over 100 years. Let’s celebrate it.”