I don't even know where to begin. I can see the violence argument, but why then is playing sports even allowed? ...especially American football. It's a sport where athletes are constantly hurt and/or aiming to hurt the other people. I believe it is their right to do whatever they want to do, but the logic behind why they're doing or not doing it bothers me.... and their inconsistency with the promotion of non-violence bothers me too. What is your opinion?
Indiana? Let me see that...Huh. Never heard of that college. 1000 students clarifies the unheard of reputation.
Well, let's look at the words and pull some lyrics out.
Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream: 'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more! Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Note that we all play the first set of lyrics, and rarely play the rest. So that begs the question: What part of the SSB was this president so afraid of? What is violent about the main passage? Bombs bursting in air? Or is he talking about the rest of the passage that only a golden-egg American knows by heart?
The president should get a grip. He is banning patriotic lyrics in a college, where the minimum age of attending students is 18+, who can view blood, gore, strong language, sexual content, and nudity. He has also banned the song being played in a band, which further baffles me, since he is complaining about the lyrics of the song, not the composition!
Now i'm not American, but isn't banning the national anthemn unpatriotic? I'm sure there will be some parents (possibly military) who will kick up some fuss about it.
As for violence, i don't see it so much.
For all those non-Americans who have never looked into/had to learn about it (Or the Americans who don't know :P), i looked up the meaning of the anthem:
Freakenstein thank you for your post. That's the first time I've seen the full lyrics. I've always felt that America the Beautiful should be our national anthem.
This is ridiculous, regardless of it's involvement in sporting history, the Star Spangled Banner is the national anthem, how do you have the sheer audacity to ban the national anthem? JI is right, this is by far one of the most unpatriotic things I've ever seen.
Psh it's too violent, the foundations of this country have always been blood soaked, we've known that for the last 200 years, and it has never made a difference.
I have heard of indianna but not very much until now. I do agree that this seems unpatriotic but I am ignorrant for why it is considered violent. There is most likely a reason for this but I am unsure. I will have to research this further before I post any more.
I hope you have heard of Indiana! That's a whole state! At any rate, the Star Spangled Banner is telling a story of the bombardment of Fort McHenry, during the War of 1812 with Great Britain. So war, bombs, violence, blood... But there are clearly more descriptive and explicit violence held in other, potentially more cherished possessions. You put two and two together.
the foundations of this country have always been blood soaked
*Our entire history
Seriously, if they have a problem with a song about a war we nearly lost written by a guy on a prison ship, they've completely missed the point. There are far worse things they could be protesting, things that have happened in the modern age and America didn't do anything, not a song from some war hardly anybody knows anything about to begin with.
I really don't know why they banned the melody, they already didn't sing the lyrics, that would have to be enough if you don't like violence. But eh, I can't even understand why you'd want to play the national anthem at a college sports event. Silly patriotism...
you guys are forgetting, they are mennonites, a religion that is very similar to the amish. to them, even the tiniest speck of violence is bad for them. we can consider them un patriotic, but they don't care because of their beliefs. I don't know about you, but if a misinformed jerk-off starts hating on my beliefs, I wouldn't change because they don't know what my beliefs are. we could accept them, or we can rant about them. there is no true way to change a person's beliefs quickly and peacefully.
Well that's just weird. I mean it's the national anthem wich is sung on every big occasion and sports events. They don't have to sing the whole song. Just skip the violent parts.
