ACR 95, as introduced, Mathis. American Flag.
This measure would declare that the American flag is an inseparable part of California’s rich history, tradition, and culture, that it represents the values of freedom and liberty, and would call upon the state and local governments to prohibit any government entity in the state from banning the American flag from public property.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, On June 14th, 1777, in the midst of the American
2Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution
3stating that “the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate
4stripes red and white” and that “the Union be thirteen stars, white
5in a blue field, representing a new Constellation”; and
6WHEREAS, On September 14th, 1814, American soldiers under
7siege at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland raised a huge
8American flag to celebrate a crucial victory over British forces
9during the War of 1812, inspiring Francis Scott Key to write a
10poem that eventually became the words of the United States
11National Anthem; and
12WHEREAS, On June 6th, 1944, more than 160,000 American
13and Allied troops carrying the “Stars and Stripes” landed along a
P2 150-mile stretch of heavily fortified French coastline in Normandy
2to liberate Europe from the forces of Nazi Germany. More than
39,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded on D-Day to free
4Europe from fascist occupation; and
5WHEREAS, On February 23rd, 1945, five Marines and a Navy
6Corpsman raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi during
7the Battle of Iwo Jima. It was a hard-fought victory over
8imperialism at the cost of 5,900 United States service members
9killed and 17,400 wounded against 23,000 Japanese army and
10naval forces fighting from an entrenched network of caves, dugouts,
11tunnels and underground installations; and
12WHEREAS, On September 11th, 2001, in the aftermath of the
13terrorist attack which destroyed the World Trade Center, three
14New York City firefighters, George Johnson of Rockaway Beach,
15Ladder 157, Dan McWilliams of Long Island, Ladder 157, and
16Billy Eisengrein of Staten Island, Rescue 2, raised the American
17flag over the smoldering ruins of Ground Zero where the Twin
18Towers once stood. It was an act of defiance against those who
19sought to break the unconquerable values of freedom and liberty
20which the American flag represents; now, therefore, be it
21Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
22thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares that the American
23flag is an inseparable part of California’s rich history, tradition,
24and culture; and be it further
25Resolved, That the Legislature declares that the American flag
26represents the values of freedom and liberty; and be it further
27Resolved, That the Legislature calls upon the state and local
28governments to prohibit any government entity in the state from
29banning the American flag from public property, including, but
30not limited to, public schools, public colleges, public universities,
31state beaches, public parks, public monuments, museums, and
32government offices; and be it further
33Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
34of the resolution to the author for appropriate distribution
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