Opinion/By KEVIN SHANNAHAN, Journal Photojournalist
Our nation grew a bit stronger Wednesday. The United States of America welcomed 50 new citizens from 23 different countries in a naturalization ceremony held at the historic Strand Theater in downtown Shreveport.
The ceremony opened with a delightful concert by the WWII Museum’s Victory Belles, a talented trio of young women who sang a variety of songs from the WWII era. They also performed the National Anthem before the naturalization ceremony.
Federal judge Maurice Hicks, assisted by fellow federal judge David Ayo, administered the Oath of Allegiance to the new citizens. Judge Ayo spoke afterwards of the need to be good citizens of the United States, to vote and take an active part in the life of the country.
These 50 men and women left behind allegiance to their former countries and made a solemn oath:
“…that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”
As I watched my now fellow Americans take the Oath of Allegiance, I reflected on one of the songs the Victory Belles sang. In 1893 a Jewish Cantor named Moses Beilin fled the pogroms of Tsarist Russia with his family to make a new life in the United States. The family lived in abject poverty in New York City where Moses Beilin died a few years into their life in America.
One of his eight children went on to make something of a name for himself. Irving Berlin wrote “God Bless America,” a song that should be the National Anthem: “…Stand beside her, and guide her through the night with a light from above….” In the years since that song was written, many of the nights have been long and difficult, but we have prevailed.
The Journal Services family wishes to take this opportunity to congratulate our 50 fellow Americans and wish them well. On this, the 249th year of the independence of the United States, ceremonies like this one show America is still a shining city on a hill. May it be ever thus.
