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March 24, 1987
<br />
<br /> At a regular meeting of the City Council held on Tuesday, Marc~
<br />24, 1987, there were present:
<br />
<br />Gloria O. Webb, E. G. Corprew, Jr., J. Robert Gray,
<br />L. Louise Lucas, J. Herbert Simpson, George L. Hanbury,
<br />City Manager, Steven Lieberman, City Attorney.
<br />
<br />II,
<br />
<br />Absent: James W. Holley, III, Jack P. Barnes
<br />
<br /> Rev. Ben A. Beamer, Sr., Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church,
<br />opened the meeting with prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance
<br />to the Flag.
<br />
<br /> Vice Mayor Webb presided in the absence of the ~ayor, and
<br />welcomed all visitors in attendance.
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Simpson and seconded by Mrs. Lucas, minutes of
<br />the called meeting of March 10, 1987; and minutes of the regular
<br />meeting of March 10, 1987, to be approved as received, and was
<br />adopted by 5-0 vote.
<br />
<br /> 87-102 Mr. Patrick D. Kennedy, Chairman of the "Voice of
<br />Democracy" Com~ittee, introduced Lee Eskey, Sophomore of Portsmouth
<br />Cathotic..High School, and First Place Winner of Local Post 993 of
<br />~he "Voice of Democracy Award' Mr. Eskey made the following
<br />~resenzation:
<br />
<br />"THE CHALLENGE OF AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP
<br />
<br /> It is all Too easy in life to be content"with the mediocre,
<br />;atisfied with the average. However, man as a whole, has always
<br />had a spirit of adventure, a longing to surpass and to be unique.
<br />Nowhere is this better exemplified than in America.
<br />
<br /> We, as people have always challenged others and longed to be
<br />challenged ourselves. We, as Ameri%~ individuals, have set ~ertai~
<br />criteria for ourselves. To live upfthese is "~he Challenge of
<br />American Citizenship."
<br />
<br /> There is a "challenge" here because it is not enough to ~e
<br />here. One can live his or her entire life there and still not
<br />understand what it means to be an American. To see fireworks
<br />Fourth of July or to experience the thrill of a Veterans
<br />arouses in us a deep patriotism, but even this is only one
<br />of the call to be an American.
<br />
<br /> We must imagine that it is much easier for an immigrant doming
<br />to America to appreciate being an American than it is for us ~ho
<br />have always lived here. If so, then this is part of our challenge-
<br />to learn to appreciate and not take for granted our American
<br />citizenshiF. In attempting ro do this, we may find ourselves com-
<br />paring America to other countries., and when we do we must look for
<br />the virtues in our country and not for the vices in another. This
<br />also is part of our challenge.
<br />
<br /> Similarly, we must remember one of the greatest aspects of
<br />America, and that is freedom. Too often, however, we limit
<br />freedom to within our country; true freedom is not a thing
<br />can be restrained, but ~s a way of thinking, a philosophy which
<br />must be expressed to the rest of the world, including America.
<br />this sense, we cannot condemn other countries or peoples. We
<br />give them the freedom to be unique. This, then, is another ct
<br />of American citizenship.
<br />
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