PATRIOTISM AND LOVE OF COUNTRY ARE NOT IDEALS WHICH MOST OF US VOICE OPENLY OR FREQUENTLY; THEY ARE, HOWEVER, CARRIED CLOSE TO THE HEART. EVENTS THIS PAST WEEK HAVE SERVED TO BRING THEM TO THE SURFACE. CAUSING THE TEMPERS OF OVER 285 MILLION AMERICANS TO FLARE. WE COULD VERY WELL TAKE FOR OUR NATION 'S MOTTO THE WARNING BY CHARLES GADSON WHICH FLEW ON MANY A FLAG IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR: "DON'T TREAD ON ME." MANY OF US WERE OUT THERE FRIDAY NIGHT WITH OUR CANDLES, AND WITH OUR FLAGS. EVERYWHERE I GO I SEE FLAGS: BIG FLAGS, LITTLE FLAGS, NEW FLAGS, FADED FLAGS..ON STREETS, HANGING FROM HOME WINDOWS, STUCK ON THE GLASS IN CAR WINDOWS, FASTENED TO ANTENNAS. SOME ARE BEING WORN ON T-SHIRTS...AND IT IS A SIGN OF SUPPORT AND RESPECT. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ENLISTING IN THE ARMED FORCES BY THE THOUSANDS. IN DOING GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH..."TRACING MY ROOTS"..I HAVE COME ACROSS ANCESTORS WHO CENTURIES BACK FOUGHT FOR FREEDOM AND FOR THEIR BELIEFS. BROTHER FOUGHT BESIDE BROTHER AND COUSIN IN OUR WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE. ON OCCASION...ONE THAT I KNOW...BROTHER FOUGHT AGAINST BROTHER. EVEN HE WAS FIGHTING FOR WHAT HE BELIEVED. AND FOR THESE ANCESTORS, MINE AND YOURS, WHO WORKED AND FOUGHT TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY WHAT IT IS, I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL. I GIVE THANKS FOR OUR ANCESTORS WHO FOUGHT AND DIED IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR; FOR THOSE WHO FOUGHT ONE ANOTHER IN THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES, EACH FIGHTING FOR WHAT HE OR SHE BELIEVED IN. I AM THANKFUL FOR THOSE WHO WERE THERE WITH TEDDY ROOSEVELT, AND FOR THOSE WHO DIED ON THE BLOODY BATTLEFIELDS IN WWI. I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN THE ONES WHO TOOK PART IN THE FOLLOWING STRUGGLE TO ELIMINATE THE NAZI HORROR, NOR THOSE OTHERS WENT TO KOREA AND TO VIET NAM. AND I THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, WHO BURNED THE CANDLES, HUNG THE FLAGS, DONATED BLOOD AND MONEY, AND IN COUNTLESS OTHER WAYS SHOWED YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR COUNTRY. JOANNE DAVIDSON SALIBY