Barbara Kingsolver and our flag was still there"Until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.", once again the words by the late Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. comes to mind. Although written 150 years ago and worlds away, the eternal principles of justice and freedom contained in the works of Barbara Kingsolver and Frederick Douglass are emblazoned throughout the world of English literature. There is a common cry in the writings of these authors, regardless of their space and time, "Voices and images that demand response!". I was a little at a loss for words after reading "What is the Fourth of July to the Slave?" " A very powerful piece then, as today with a stunning resonance. “And our flag was still there”, also a powerful testimony to reality, as Aldous Huxley succinctly stated: “That men do not learn much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons history has to teach. " In all this I was also reminded of Margaret Atwood's A Letter to America and her disillusionment. Through my calligraphy this season I have deeply expressed and found a sharing of "eternal principles" and ideologies with minds of the past and present; or as Kingsolver put it: “Dissidents innocent of any crime greater than belief in the just treatment of our poorest and most abused citizens have died right here on American soil for our freedom, as tragically as any soldier in any war.” Reading takes you places. It allows you to meet others who have come before you who share common values ​​and perspectives. It makes you realize that we are not alone. I was able to make many connections between the two very thought-provoking topics. There are expressions of appreciation for the… middle of paper… of our civil liberties and liberties, we have seen the limitations placed on government have been reduced and we have seen this erosion to the point where today it seems like no one cares. Just like the empires of antiquity, our nation is in a state of decline and if we do not awaken the masses from their decadent trance headed for the fall of the republic. Informed people know that the fight this country has been waging since its inception involves central bankers not taking control of the country: “Taxation without representation.” There are those who are on the side of the destruction of the United States and are working hard to bring it about. The engine of America's greatness lies not only in its freedoms, but in the will of the people to fight to maintain them. “History is a guide to navigating dangerous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.”—David McCullough.