OPINION: A Flag Burns in Brooklyn
Last week at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, a group called “Disarm the NYPD” burned the American flag to express their view that our nation’s flag is a symbol of oppression, specifically calling attention to the issue of police brutality. This event serves as a very powerful reminder for me personally of what the flag actually stands for — liberty, justice, freedom — the very principles that are the foundation of this country.
These principles allow individuals to express their views freely and without retribution, despite how offensive an act is to most Americans, in this case the burning of our flag. More than this, the American flag has been and continues to be a beacon of hope, inspiring my family more than 60 years ago, and countless other families throughout this country’s history, to pursue their American dream.
In 1949, just six months after I was born on the Greek island of Nisyros, my family immigrated to the United States of America. My father, having worked for the Italian government overseeing a lighthouse, alone, for 16 years, saved every dollar he could in order to achieve his dream of providing a better life for his family in America. We settled in New York City, on 135th street in Harlem, to be exact. I grew up watching my father take any work he could get to provide for his family. I learned the value of hard work, the importance of family and to follow your dreams no matter how big and unlikely they may seem. To this day, I carry a picture of that lighthouse with me every day to remember my father, his character and the sacrifices he made for his family.