Yesterday, I was driving my family down a beautiful, winding, state highway to Sunday morning services at Glenwood Springs Baptist church. While rounding a right hand curve I spotted an American flag crumpled up on the side of the road. I felt like someone had put a knife into my stomach. For one brief millisecond, the thought occurred to me to go on by without stopping. But just as quickly, I said to myself, "No, you’ve got to stop and pick it up."

I drove down the road a little farther, and pulled off on the left hand side at a small driveway/road. The walk back up the highway took a few minutes, and there was the ever present car to watch out for. I picked the flag up and headed back for our car. That’s when I wanted to cry.

 How many people had driven by that flag without stopping to pick it up? After all, this is a state highway, not a jeep trail.  To stop would certainly be inconvenient. For some people, it would mean that they were going to be late for their job, or recreating with someone. For others, it would mean that they were going to be late for church…

Why did I HAVE to stop?  Because that flag is not on par with a dirty sock that got tossed out of the window. That flag isn’t just a colorful piece of cloth that you can buy at Walmart, wear, and get rid of. That flag was the representation of everything good about the country I live in and am proud of. That flag has a history of brave and  righteous, men and women who have gotten me to where I am today. That flag stands in the world as THE symbol of liberty for all.

Have you ever seen our flag upside down as a symbol of distress? That means a lot to me.

Later, during our trip down the road, I asked my wife if she remembered the Ecology flag that we used to see in the 1970s. "Where is that flag,now?" I asked. I hope that the US flag doesn’t go the way of the Ecology flag. But we just got done celebrating Independence Day just a few short days ago.  There were lots of flags. Where are all of the patriots?