MAYOR’S COLUMN -- Guy Carrozzo
I am proud and honored to be the mayor of Fountain Valley for the year
2000. That is quite a milestone.
The press always seems to ask the new mayor the same question: “What are
your goals for the city now that you are mayor?”
In 1995, I told them we were not planning to build a huge theme park,
arena, skyscraper or any type of Brooklyn Bridge. I said my goal for my
year at the helm was to keep Fountain Valley a nice place to live for
future generations, as it was for the past generations.
For the year 2000, I will continue to work on that goal, but I have
another goal in mind to go with it. You can call it my dream, and I need
your help -- all of you.
I am dedicating my year as mayor to the veterans and POWs of our country.
I want to honor these individuals. I want us all to celebrate the year
2000 with a renewed burst of patriotism.
The freedoms that we enjoy today and in the new year of 2000 and beyond
were not given to us by a simple quill pen being placed on a piece of
parchment. These freedoms were fought for and protected by the soldiers,
all branches of the service, with unheard-of sacrifices.
Just stop and look outside your windows for a moment. Think about what
your life might be like today if these brave men and women had turned
their backs on our country, like some people did. It would be a horrific
and frightening world outside those windows if they had, but they didn’t,
thank God.
And when you say your prayers, please, always include the veterans and
POWs in those prayers.
I was a teacher and a school principal. I am proud to have been an
educator. I always felt that all professions were indebted to teachers
because teachers made it possible for the professions to exist.
I now know that this is only partially right. If it weren’t for the
veterans, the soldiers, and I include all branches of the service, there
would be nothing. Not the professions, not the clergy, not the free
press, not the free elections, and not the freedoms we enjoy. Not even
the teachers.
Life as we know it today would not exist.
How do we honor these veterans and POWs?
We honor them by honoring the spirit of the flag for which they fought,
sacrificed and died. I would like to be able to drive around in the year
2000 and see thousands of flags on display. I would like to see more
flags than ever before. It would be our way of showing our respect for
our veterans and POWs and letting them know that we won’t forget their
heroic deeds just because the calendar has turned over to a new
millennium.
Remember, they brought us to this new millennium as a free people, not
tethered in chains of oppression and tyranny. We are here indeed standing
on the shoulders of these giants of the past.
I want to encourage everyone to purchase and fly a flag this new year,
the year 2000. Let’s make 2000 the greatest patriotic year ever.
And don’t forget to drop me a note telling me what you will do to promote
the flag and get flags flying during 2000. I would appreciate hearing
from you.
* GUY CARROZZO is mayor of Fountain Valley.
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