ay 26, 2026 Editor, The News-Gazette: During the summer of the Bicentennial, everywhere one looked there was red, white and blue. Now it’s the semiquincentennial and some seem uneasy about being patriotic.
Flag or not, Americans celebrate revolutionary ideas, that out of many nations a better and more perfect union could be formed! That government should give voice and power to its people. That all men are created equal. Americans celebrate those who helped amend its more perfect union and alter its system of governance. It will continue to do so in the future.
Named for revolutionary Lexington, Massachusetts, this town birthed The Franklin Society in the 1800s. Its members came from all walks of life. Wrought with political divisiveness, they amassed a library and spoke freely in public debate at the courthouse. The only requirement was literacy. Out of dialog came both Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute. These places of higher learning supplied jobs for both literate and illiterate residents, raising the standard of living for both.
In Lexington today, we hold peaceful protests and public debates. Signs and flags bear messages close to our hearts. Our churches are diverse. Our campuses change when ideas are challenged. Faculty and students bask in the freedom of ideas. Scholarships and financial aid are given. Our public schools are open to all. A library is open to all. Social media and information are open to all.
We have every reason to celebrate! Let’s don our homes with red, white and blue this summer. Celebration builds a festive atmosphere of happiness and goodwill. It is good for the soul and has the power to take down walls, transforming us into an interconnected joyous community. It is good for tourism, curb appeal, but especially our children, who will carry the memories of it, into the Tricentennial. CYNTHIA E. ROBERTSON Lexington
