Patriotism – “Devotion to the welfare of one’s own county and a willingness to sacrifice for it.” This seems like a fairly simple definition, but what exactly are we thinking about when we think of patriotism? For me, it conjures up images of the Minutemen, George Washington, John Paul Jones, Thomas Payne and Paul Revere as they and countless others fought to secure this country for the blessings and liberties we enjoy today. These were citizen soldiers fighting valiantly against the professional armies of England and miraculously they overcame all odds to grab victory and found this great nation we call the United States of America.

Others think of patriotism and what immediately comes to mind are the brave and gallant soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that defend our great country in far flung places around the globe; bringing hope where there was none and extending the reach and influence of democracy and freedom. They also think of the families left behind and the sacrifices they must make while their loved ones perform their duties.

Still others think of patriotism and visions of firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical personnel come to mind. These people are on the front lines every day, in every city and town in America in a noble effort to protect the lives and property of each of us. They put themselves in harms way to make life better for the entire community and we should do our part to help them.

We can do that by volunteering in the Orlando Citizen Corps in an effort to make our communities safer, stronger and better prepared to respond to threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues and disasters of all kinds. The Orlando Citizen Corps is composed of a Community Emergency Response Team, Citizen Fire Academy, Citizen Police Academy, Citizen Observers, Volunteers in Police Service, Neighborhood Watch, Hometown Security Volunteers, Senior Links and the American Red Cross of Central Florida. Each of these programs provides a vital service to our community and the training is free. For more information please call (321)235-5432 or visit on-line at www.cityoforlando.net.

Be a Patriot! Our county was founded by citizen soldiers no different than you and I. They had a cause and were willing to die for it. Devote a little effort and sacrifice some time for the betterment of our community. You’ll feel better and we’ll all be safer.

By the way, there is one other image of patriotism that every red-blooded American should have come up with; the flag of the United States of America. From the flag that Betsy Ross designed, to the Marines holding aloft the flag at Iwo Jima, to the captivating image of the firefighters raising the flag at the devastation of the World Trade Center; our flag has flown proudly and stood for freedom. During this patriotic season from Flag Day through Independence Day, please take time to remember the sacrifices of the countless people that have paid for our freedom with their lives and honor them by being involved.