High school and college bands often perform, sometimes with accompanying choir, “America the Beautiful,” especially around graduation time. It is a remarkable song with lyrics that oftentimes are lost after the first verse. There are eight.

As we experience today’s 8-second sound bites on televised news and trimmed wire stories in newspapers, the lyrics that are too seldom heard help complete the tale.

“America the Beautiful” was sung by a church choir Sunday as the congregation was asked to reflect on and celebrate the freedom with which we are so blessed. Struggling to keep up with the words as each stanza began, it was easy to get a lump in the throat if one would only drink in the words and contemplate their meaning.

In the second verse, it tells of an America and her pilgrims, not the Mayflower ones. It tells of people “whose stern impassioned stress, a thoroughfare of freedom beat across the wilderness.” Imagine being impassioned for freedom, to bring its cry across this country. But this is not a call to bully people to one’s way of thinking. In fact, it tells of seeking divine help to “mend thine every flaw,” but even further it seeks to “confirm thy soul in self-control, (emphasis mine) thy liberty in law.”

Self control? Nowadays? That seems opposite of what’s promoted, doesn’t it? Humans can’t be expected to have self control. We’re nothing but animals that should be allowed to feed our passions, unless that passion is earning a lot of money.

This song tells of our military volunteers who are “heroes proved in liberating strife. Who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life.”

It speaks of “alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears.” Does it speak of America as the “City on  Hill,” an alabaster — white but translucent city that glows as beacon of freedom to the oppressed of the world?

Despite her flaws, America is still a beautiful place. It remains a place where those who hope to be free can come to find refuge.

We should all hope this “patriot dream” should grow stronger among the people of the United States, especially as we celebrate this great day of Independence. May liberty never die with this generation.

Happy Independence Day.

JEFF ZERINGUE is managing editor of The Daily Iberian. He can be reached at iberianedit@glacoxmail.com