The Right of the People Peaceably to Assemble

My great grandparents Teal (grama Fortner’s parents) immigrated to this country in 1907 from England.  The Fortner side, a mixed lot by now, originally came from Germany in the 1700’s.  The Terrill side of my family goes back to the 1600’s and also came from England.  The Porter side came from Ireland.  You can also throw some Welsh in there for good measure.  And if you go far enough back in the Taylor genealogy you find French and Spanish heritage.
I say all of this just to show that by rights I can justly wave the flag of any one of those nations and claim affinity.
Despite the fact that I am proud of my heritage,(as I think everyone ought to be) I am even more proud to be American.
Old Glory is the flag I fly.
It is under Old Glory and the constitution she represents that guarantees me the right to protest and to peaceably assemble in this country, not another flag.
I believe that those who assemble under another banner not of this nation do their cause a great disservice and in so doing show great disrespect for the flag and nation that allows them to do so.
I stand by the words of a great past president:

   "In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant
who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to
us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is
an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or
birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in
every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no
divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something
else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the
American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the
English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a
loyalty to the American people."
 
   Theodore Roosevelt 1907

I say we continue to welcome all immigrants for we all were at one time, and be proud of our past heritage but let us be Americans now, first and foremost.

Nieces and Nephews

Just a few pic's from my recent trip to the Great White North!