Patriotism and County pride in the heartland

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I know this is off topic, I really felt strongly about sharing this:

As most of you know, I recently moved from California to Jerseyville, a small very rural town in southern Illinois, adjacent the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. My family has lived there since the 1870s. The population of the entire county is 21,668 and it is Square miles: 369.16.  Though it is only an hour from the St Louis metro area, it is an agricultural town.  I now have a little 5 acres farm on a creek two miles outside of town.

This evening, I attended the Jersey County Fair Parade. It was amazing.  One and one half hours of community and patriotic pride!  It was lead by a police car with lights and siren.  Then came the large color guards of both the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.  Sandwiched between them was a formation of uniformed fighting men from the war of 1812 through Gulf war, with correct uniforms, accouterments, and weapons.  After them was the Marine Corps league with an active duty color guard. What followed was an amazing assortment of farm tractors, floats, pick ups, convertibles with local Miss , Junior Miss , and Little Miss Jersey and , Calhoun (neighboring sister county) candidates and winners past and present, horse groups, 4 H, FFA, every civic organization, SHriners, Rotary, major business, cement trucks, mud racers, utility companies, churches, youth groups, etc, etc. etc. The theme was civic pride, community spirit and patriotism.

This is heartland America.  This is what is forgotten in the hustle and bustle of society today.  This is what the media and politicians ignore.  This is the ground that sends forth its young men and women in harms way. This could have been Oregon, Mississippi, Colorado, Maine, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Georgia, Arizona, or almost any other state.  I found I had trouble keeping my eyes from watering as the parade of Americana passed in review.  As a veteran myself, I doffed my cap and placed it across my chest as the vet carrying the flag for American legion locked eyes and nodded approvingly of my gesture.

I came away with an overwhelming feeling of the greatness of this country of ours, and of its well meaning (though sometimes imperfect) democracy.  As long as there are Jersyvilles, there will be a United States of America.

[Ozark Tracker]

you know I feel the same way, I've always lived in small towns and the country, but when you go to a small town function, it's people you know and you know they really mean it. when they carry the flag with honor,  they are proud of it not just a show.

[Harve Curry]

I to feel the same way. I was at a 4H Rodeo last month. The grand entry included a girl singing the National Anthem while the rodeo queen rode around the arena with the US flag at a canter, increasing speed with each lap gradually untill she was at a full out gallop and the Old Glory was rippling loud and straight. She came to a slide stop facing the crowd as the song ended. All teenagers and they did a real good job of singing, horsemanship and putting it all together.

[Will Ketchum]

Bernie, in a reply to one of your earlier posts I wrote "welcome to God's country"  What you just said is what I meant.  I truly believe that rural America and especially the Mid West is what America is all about.

Here in Madison Wisconsin, the heart of liberalism in the Mid West, we have lost much of what you speak of.  But just a few miles away it is alive and well.  Thanks for putting it in words.

Will Ketchum