::  Defining America ::

Even on the coldest day in March the sun beats down on the flat Texas land and the thermometer rarely dips below seventy degrees. Moms set out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and screen doors quietly slap in the thick Texas wind.  Saturdays on Randolph Air Force Base are marked by the sounds of relaxation: children laughing, the dull hum of a lawn mower a couple of streets away, and the soft rustling of trees.   

And this warm Saturday evening was no different.  Several groups of children had gathered outside on a common lawn for a much awaited soccer game that had been discussed all week during recess at school.  Emotions always run high when rival neighborhood kids go head-to-head in a soccer dual, and this game was the heated culmination of months of good-natured but intense adolescent competition.

Fevers were enraged, hearts pounding, and sweat was pouring in the thick humid air. And at that particular point, with a flick of his ankle a sandy-haired 3^rd grader on the underdog team had skillfully maneuvered around two athletic 5^th graders and was now moving dangerously close to the net of the opposing team.  Nothing could stop the inevitable.  The glory was within reach!  Only seconds remained between the silent swoosh of the ball hitting the net!   

But instead of cheers rising up from the adolescent crowd that had gathered by the field, something else was heard.  Something compelling enough to make every child on that field stop in their tracks, wipe the sweat from their eyes, turn towards the North, and slowly raise their right hand to their heart.  It was the National Anthem ringing out across the loudspeakers of the post.  And, just as everyday, these children stopped right along with mothers preparing lunches in their homes, commanders in their offices, enlisted in their barracks, and those on duty at their post.  And in a collective show of unity, they paid respect to a few bars and a few stars hanging on the post church – symbols of much more powerful forces – freedom, courage, and sacrifice. 

For many of us, stories like this one send chills down our spine.  They strike swells of pride in our hearts and give pause to our often busy and cluttered minds.  In a moment of clarity, they define on an emotional level the often indefinable: what it is to be an American. 

But day by day, what it means to be an American is being pushed out of our lives – either by force or just simply because we are too busy to notice. Many of our children no longer start their day with the Pledge of Allegiance.  In some schools studying the founding fathers is considered too controversial.  The words “Under God” in the Pledge are under constant scrutiny. 

But there are those who recognize that our national identity means too much to be disregarded and carelessly rewritten.  We understand that entwined in our heritage is our hope for the future. Defining America is not a subject for our courts, or even our legislators.  The real battles are fought in the hearts of the people and the manifestations of our pride through our actions.  The battle is being won when a group of passionate school kids make the conscious decision to stop a heated soccer game and honor the flag.  It is won when Americans make the conscious decision to remove their hats and sing the National Anthem with pride.  It is won when teachers tell the stories of America’s history, grandparents share the stories of our forefathers’ sacrifices, and parents take time to visit historical sites with their children.  

By upholding and passing down our civic history and traditions we preserve our core belief that United States citizenship is not a right, but an honor.  And this honor transcends race, religion, privilege, or politics, and it is one that ultimately will continue to determine the character and the course of our nation.

::  2006 Congressional Summer Page Program  ::

Congressman Forbes invites all interested high school students to submit their applications for the 2006 Summer Congressional Page Program.

Currently sixty-six top high school students are sponsored by their Member of Congress to serve as Pages in the U.S. House of Representatives. These high-achieving students live on Capitol Hill, attend school, and work directly with legislators as personal assistants on the floor of the House of Representatives. Several incumbent and former members of Congress as well as other prominent Americans have been Congressional Pages.

This program is one of the best ways for young men and women to get a better understanding of how the federal legislative process works, and to get a hands-on experience that cannot be obtained in a classroom setting. This highly competitive program continues to produce some of our nation’s most influential young leaders.

Guidelines and information packets are being sent to all high school guidance departments in the Fourth Congressional District. These packets are also posted in Congressman Forbes’ District offices in Chesapeake, Colonial Heights and Emporia. Completed materials must be returned via mail or hand-delivered to any one of Congressman Forbes’ Congressional offices by March 31, 2006. Late applications will not be accepted.

Interested students may visit Congressman Forbes’ Student Resources website at http://www.house.gov/forbes for official guidelines. They may also contact Sarah Makin in Congressman Forbes’ Washington, DC office at (202) 225-6365 for more information.