<p><strong>To the editor:</strong></p>
<p>Having been out of school for decades, it’s difficult to know exactly what is being taught regarding our country, it’s origins or the people who made it happen. Fifteen years ago, in an effort to stimulate the curiosity of our local children, I began flying flags of the United States, beginning with what I’ve read is the first flag. I made up lists to hand out to any curious person so they could verify my information.</p>
<p>I had six flags from different periods of our history and would fly each one for several weeks before switching to one of the others. Once I got into the 48- to 50-star flags, it was difficult to tell the difference from the street. I often fly the Grand Union, especially around national holidays.</p>
<p>That is why I flew the Grand Union for the July 4th holiday. It apparently offended someone who made a comment to me when I encountered them in a store. Which is why I’m sending this all to you. I’m hoping that someone on your staff is curious enough that they will follow up on the history of our flags and publish the information in a way that might pique the curiosity of your readers enough that they would further pursue that information online, or in a library. Or, at least, that they might challenge their children to do the same.</p>
<p><p style="text-align: right"><strong>Joan Elliot</strong></p>
<p><p style="text-align: right"><strong>Greenwood</strong></p>
