AJR 32

Introduced by Assembly Member Blanca Rubio
 Relative to the 9/11 Remembrance Flag.
the 9/11 Remembrance Flag
9/11 Remembrance Flag.
This measure would encourage the chief administrator of each public building or facility owned by the state, a county, or a municipality to display the 9/11 Remembrance Flag on September 11 of each year and to prescribe procedures necessary for its display. The measure would declare that any public official or chief administrator of a public building or facility may accept a donation of one or more 9/11 Remembrance Flags for the purpose of display at a public building or facility owned by the state, a county, or a municipality.
WHEREAS, September 11, 2001, will forever be one of the darkest days in the history of the United States; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 3,000 people, including citizens of over 90 nations, died as a direct result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York, New York; the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia; and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, The first responders who served heroically at Ground Zero in the City of New York paid a heavy toll, with over 400 fire, police, and rescue members making the ultimate sacrifice; and
WHEREAS, All four commercial airline flights hijacked on 9/11 were bound for California; and
WHEREAS, Over 50 Californians lost their lives on 9/11; and
WHEREAS, The 9/11 Remembrance Flag was designed by a Virginian on September 20, 2001, to foster the establishment of a national symbol of remembrance that honors and remembers the victims, heroic first responders, and all who were affected by the events of September 11, 2001; and
WHEREAS, Symbols of the 9/11 Remembrance Flag are represented as follows:
An Old Glory Blue Background symbolizing all Americans united together for freedom;
One White Star symbolizing all who live and died for freedom;
Five White Bars symbolizing the Pentagon and the organized protection of our freedom;
One Top Old Glory Red Stripe symbolizing the bloodshed of the people who perished at the Pentagon and the crew and passengers killed on American Airlines Flight 77;
Two Broad Old Glory Red Stripes symbolizing the Twin Towers and the bloodshed of the people who perished at the World Trade Center and on American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175;
One Bottom Old Glory Red Stripe symbolizing the bloodshed of the crew and passengers who perished on United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania;
Three White Stripes symbolizing the rescue workers, firefighters, police officers, Port Authority employees, and others who worked tirelessly during and after the terrorist attacks; and
WHEREAS, On November 12, 2001, the 9/11 Remembrance Flag was officially adopted by the Virginia Historical Society as part of a special exhibition in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution to commemorate the events of 9/11; and
WHEREAS, The design of the 9/11 Remembrance Flag adheres to the five principles of “Good Flag Design” defined by the North American Vexillological Association; and
WHEREAS, In 2018, the Virginia General Assembly voted unanimously to add the 9/11 Remembrance Flag to the Code of Virginia as Virginia’s official flag of remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001 making it our nation’s first codified 9/11 remembrance flag; and
WHEREAS, The 9/11 Remembrance Flag has also been adopted by the legislatures of Oklahoma and Delaware, and has flown or been displayed on 9/11 and for Patriot Day lessons in all 50 states, including at numerous schools and civic institutions in California, and in thousands of locations across the United States; and
WHEREAS, Since the 21st anniversary of 9/11, the 9/11 Remembrance Flag has served a prominent role in the Azusa Rotary Club’s annual 9/11 Field of Glory U.S. Flag Display Event; and
WHEREAS, Over 7,000 members of the Armed Forces of the United States, including many Californians, have made the ultimate sacrifice in the Global War on Terrorism since September 11, 2001; and
WHEREAS, The aftermath of 9/11 cleanup activities continues to take a toll on first responders, including over 3,000 first responders who have perished due to 9/11-related illness since the attacks; and
WHEREAS, The symbols of 9/11 serve as a meaningful educational tool and a unifying emblem of patriotism and remembrance; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 100,000,000 Americans, including approximately 10,000,000 Californians, have been born since September 11, 2001, or were too young to remember the events that occurred on that day; and
WHEREAS, The 9/11 Remembrance Flag memorializes the courageous and ongoing response of all Americans to threats against our freedom; and
WHEREAS, The 9/11 Remembrance Flag is a symbol of our state’s concern and commitment to remembering all of the lives lost as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; now, therefore, be it
 Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly,  That the chief administrator of each public building or facility owned by the state, a county, or a municipality is encouraged to display the 9/11 Remembrance Flag on September 11 of each year and to prescribe procedures necessary for its display; and be it further
 Resolved,  That any public official or chief administrator of a public building or facility may accept a donation of one or more 9/11 Remembrance Flags for the purpose of display at a public building or facility owned by the state, a county, or a municipality; and be it further
 Resolved,  That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.