Flag Day Proclamation Speech:

Honored Mayor Blackburn, esteemed members of the Carlsbad City Council, fellow citizens of Carlsbad. My name is Dr. Mark Zecca, and I am representing the Knights of Columbus and its International, National, State, and local councils, including the Council here in Carlsbad.

We passionately support this proclamation of National Flag Day. We honor the tricolored symbol of our nation’s unity, courage, and aspirations. We proclaim Flag Day as a day to reflect on the sacrifices made for our freedom and the history woven into the fabric of our flag. Its colors symbolize the values of courage, strength, peace, and prosperity. It represents our nation’s identity and our collective journey toward innovation and progress.

But our flag is more than just a piece of fabric; it represents our nation’s history, values, and dreams. Our flag unites us, regardless of our differences, and reminds us of our shared identity as a nation. It reminds us of the courage and sacrifices made by those that fought tyranny and the leaders who contributed to our nation’s independence. It provides us with an opportunity to educate our younger

generations about the significance of our flag and its historical context in today’s World theater.

We identify the flag with things we hold dear on earth. It represents our peace and security, our civil and political liberty, our freedom of religious worship, the protection of our families, the free gathering of our friends, and the security of our homes. We see it as a culmination of the great multitude of blessings, rights, and privileges, which have been bestowed upon our Great Nation.

But as we gaze at our flag and behold its emblazoned symbols of our history; we must remember that it is equally a symbol of our duties. Every glory that we associate with it is the result of duties carried out by our forefathers as well as those today who serve, and by every man, woman, and child that call themselves American. It is the banner in which those that served and gave the last full measure of devotion, claimed liberty for all of us. As it flies from our highest masts, it shouts that we are a resolute People and reminds us that we are the home of Freedom earned because of those that were Brave!

Thank you and God Bless.

The answer depends on which narrative you follow. For a long time, Crispus Attucks has been celebrated as the first casualty of the American Revolution because his death during the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770, symbolized the violent break between the colonies and British authority.

However, historical accounts also show that 11-year-old Christopher Seider was fatally shot on February 22, 1770—nearly two weeks before Attucks’ death—making him chronologically the first person to die in the revolutionary era’s prelude.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Attucks’ martyrdom resonated powerfully among colonists and was widely publicized and mythologized, contributing significantly to the revolutionary sentiment.
• Seider’s death, though equally tragic and a spark for public outrage, is less often highlighted in popular history despite its earlier occurrence.
• Both deaths contributed to the rising tensions and complex narratives that fueled the move toward American independence.

There’s much more to explore in this period. The subsequent events, like the Boston Massacre, captured the imagination and fueled the revolutionary impulse. Would you be interested in diving deeper into how these events were used in revolutionary propaganda or how their legacies evolved? In Carlsbad, California, visit the Green Dragon Tavern and Museum.