"Goodbye, Miss Liberty..."

"...We won't see you again unless you do an about face."

It was early in 1919, and an almost endless stream of returning Doughboys reached New York Harbor daily. In an era less than two decades after the introduction of the flying machine, a time when only the richest of society contemplated trans-Atlantic cruises, it doesn't seem odd that returning American forces uttered the above quote as they saluted the most recognizable of all national icons.

I know the Doughboy from Athens who recounted the above anecdote never saw her again in person. We hope that today Miss Liberty and what she represents still lives in all our hearts, whether we've seen her in person or not.

Ninety years later, our political ideals have changed, have morphed and expanded like the ever-changing universe until we often forget to reflect on the core of the beliefs that brought our ancestors here. I choose to think they're still with us. I choose to think that our daily ordeals and political infightings are not worse than what the Continental Congress faced; they're simply larger and more apparent to the average citizen due to our immediate access to any and all events at the touch of a button.

I hope ninety or one hundred years from today, there will be someone writing about the military forces who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, how they felt, and what challenges they confronted. I used the word "hope," because we can never be sure. Democracy is ours now; it's up to us to make certain it's still around for our grandchildren to enjoy.

Artwork by Sandra Baker


Warning: Don't eat too many hot dogs this weekend. Tina Parker is officially launching her campaign for Colbert County District Judge at Gattman Park next Saturday at 11:00. We understand the food will be delicious and the company divine.