Flag Waving and Anthem Hypocrisy
I get it- the American Flag is a cherished symbol of our country that represents to many the great sacrifices that have been made throughout the centuries to defend our country. But the flag also symbolizes to others the great freedoms we enjoy as citizens of a free country- none more important than the freedom of expression.
The original flag dates back to 1777 and the very inception of our country, although it was not considered so important at the time that any one even knows who actually created it. Relatives of Betsy Ross subsequently took credit and managed to get her name in all the school textbooks, but that claim has since largely been discredited.
The Star Spangled Banner is a similar patriotic symbol but with a less glorious past. It was created in the 1800’s from a poem by Francis Scott Key consisting of four stanzas of which we only play one. It was not even proposed as the national anthem until 1919. Congress rejected the proposed bill then and forty more times before it finally became the official national anthem in 1931. Although it was played at the 1918 World Series and periodically on holidays and other special events it wasn’t played routinely at sporting events until after World War II in the 1940’s. I guess that would make our earlier forefathers who fought for our country in several wars- including the original patriots – unpatriotic.
But why is the Star Spangled Banner the unique province of the sporting event? If the anthem is so important to remind everyone of the tremendous sacrifices that our military men and women make every day and the blessings we have as citizens to live in such a great country then why isn’t it also played before concerts, movies, or plays? And why isn’t it played routinely at school and at work before we begin each day? I suspect that they may do that it certain communist countries.
Most folks blindly accept the anthem as a mandatory ritual of sporting events only. Would it make any difference if you knew that this regular practice originated when the government actually paid sports leagues to play it to help arouse patriotic feelings in times of war? ( Doesn’t that reek of China and North Korea?) Or that the Department of Defense and National Guard paid millions to the NFL to encourage players to stand during the anthem- a rule that did not even exist until 2009?
And how is it that just standing there for the anthem – the act that “patriotic” people insist must be done- constitutes meaningful respect in any case? If the anthem is so crucial to show one’s patriotism and respect then why doesn’t everyone actually participate and sing the words to the song? I have attended literally thousands of sporting events in virtually every sport imaginable all across the country and there is one common denominator when it comes to the anthem: the overwhelming majority of fans – including undoubtedly most of the very folks who are appalled by the NFL Players conduct- do not even bother to sing it.
For all his patriotic blustery I am fairly certain that Mr. Trump has never sung the national anthem at a stadium. We know that he needed his wife, who was born outside the U.S., to remind him to put his hand over his heart while it was playing. I wouldn’t be surprised if when he was a private citizen attending games he rarely paid attention and even carried on conversations with business colleagues and friends during the anthem. That is in my mind far more disrespectful than silently taking a knee and praying or just remaining silent.
I can say with great confidence that the President and all the folks who are most upset about the NFL players’ lack of respect for the anthem do not even know all the words to the song (recall there are actually four stanzas!) and many probably don’t know even know the first stanza verbatim.
While I personally stand and often sing (the first stanza) of the anthem, I believe that part of what the flag stands for is the right to choose not to stand or sing. That said, I am more receptive to criticism of the NFL Players by folks who have actually served in the military or have had family members who did and feel that this is disrespectful of their tremendous sacrifice. I can understand their frustration that they risked their life to serve this country and can appreciate the view that standing for the anthem is a pretty simple thing for others to do to honor them and America (even though these athletes have been clear that it it is not their intention to disrespect their service, but rather protest against racial injustice).
But when the criticism comes from somone who has never served and has gone out of his way to get out of military service it’s absurd. The only reason the President spouted off about this issue at this time is a political one- it was designed to rally his base. It is a message that he knew would play well in Alabama at a rally among a breed of Republicans who consider anything that is disrespectful to the flag or anthem to be a mortal sin.
And yet the forefathers of many of these people did far more than disrespect the flag – they tried to destroy it and the very country it represents! They actually killed lots of people who were serving the country of this flag. (More Americans died in the Civil War than any war in American history- 750,000). Indeed, their forefathers honored a different (confederate) flag and a large number of these “patriots” currently still do.
What hypocrisy!
Copyright Photos: Stadium with US FLag : Eric Broder Van Dyke, rf123.com; Confederate Flag and Re-Enactment: Michael Turner, 123rf.com
