EDITORIAL -- FEATURE SPOT, Editorials, Opinion
 By  Staff Reports Published 
3:25 pm Thursday, June 23, 2022

In praise of patriotism

With summer in full swing, we are also firmly in the middle of the most patriotic time of the year.

Memorial Day and Flag Day are barely in the rearview, and Independence Day is looming large on the horizon.

If you haven’t unfurled your flag, strung up the bunting or purchased fireworks yet – well, now is the time! We are loving seeing the county draped in red, white and blue.

Amidst the pool parties and cookouts, lake days and camping trips, we hope you’ll also make time to take pride in our country and honor everything it has taken to bring us to this point.

Does our country have problems? Undoubtedly. No matter where you stand on divisive topics from the economy to poverty to the environment and beyond, the U.S. has certainly not reached the very pinnacle of what it could hope to be someday.

What is also undoubtedly true, however, is that we live in a great country, filled with blessings and assets that people in many countries can only dream of. Despite the negatives, we have so many positives we can be proud of.

Even as we deal with problems like illiteracy, food insecurity, crime, hate, inflation, broken homes and more – let’s be honest with ourselves, we do have problems – we also see the innumerable benefits of living in the great U.S. of A. We have amazing freedoms, amazing opportunities, amazing prosperity.

O beautiful for spacious skies. For amber waves of grain. For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain. America! America! God shed his grace on thee!

Splendid words, for a splendid country.

Let’s not forget to embrace a patriotic spirit this summer.

Also on Franklin County Times
Successful paving plan draws Florence’s interest
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
August 5, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Pondering whether Florenceshouldestablish its own paving department, officials only had to look about 20 miles south to see the benefit...
Mills named principal at West Elementary
Main, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 5, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Gayla Mills is beginning her 31st year in education and her first as West Elementary’s principal. Mills taught third grade when that gr...
Disciplinary point system gets ‘amped up’
Main, News, Russellville
By Ella Seaton For the FCT 
August 5, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — As Alabama students head back to school, there is a new incentive for staying out of trouble. This school year, school disciplinary pro...
Wright is new RES principal
Main, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 5, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Channing Wright, former Russellville Elementary assistant principal, will begin the new school year in a new role, that of principal. N...
Motorists reminded of bus safety rules
Franklin County, News
By Ella Seaton For the FCT 
August 5, 2026
As school buses begin returning to roads across northwest Alabama this week, transportation officials remind parents, students and motorists the impor...
Data center moratoriums are right for Alabama
Columnists, News, Opinion
August 5, 2026
Apparently, asking questions and raising community concerns now makes you a socialist. At least that’s what you’d believe if you listened to some of t...
RC&D continues making a difference
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
August 5, 2026
I’ve seen firsthand the difference the Northwest Alabama Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D) can make. One reason I continue to appre...
Wallace returns home to serve at WES
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 5, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville native Jacob Wallace has returned to West Elementary School, this time as assistant principal. A member of the Russellvill...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *