Beautiful lyrics, thanks for posting them.

I agree, I can't imagine anyone who loves this country and who actually believes in equality for all of us, having an objection to this song.

There is nothing DIVISIVE or even divisive about the song. Maybe atheists would object to its religious themes. It is a song about overcoming adversity and working toward a better future. Very much American themes. It is aspirational and humble.

I don't know where you get the idea that I made up a fact about every group supporting BLM except white Republicans. I posted the link. Did you check it? And the song is not pre-empting the National Anthem. Again that has been covered but apparently is not getting through to some people. The National Anthem is being played.

After 9-11 the Sinatra song NY NY was played before the National Anthem in many sports stadiums to recognize the tragedy of that event even though only a small segment of the country was attacked. Those deaths in 2001 only impacted two cities directly but indirectly it was all of us. The deaths of Mr. Lloyd (and the list of so many others) that have been the concern of BLM similarly most Americans now feel impacts all of us. One song at one game.

Star Spangled Banner
 

Always thought America the Beautiful was a way more representative song and more beautiful words.

It isn't the song, it's the pandering. Blue Ash says the majority of "white" (why pick on Albinos?) Americans support BLM. That is a scary statement because it implies that the "majority" of Americans are clueless on the fact that BLM is a Marxist movement dedicated to the destruction of free market capitalism.

We do not have "systemic racism" in America, we have systemic Anti-Americanism.

The NEW NFL: Stand for the Black National Anthem (should i put my hand on my heart ?).. Is there a flag that we honor and pledge allegiance to ? and KNEEL for our Country's National Anthem ..

Not in my Lifetime

Thanks for the memories Roger .. poor Pete Rozelle

Many indeed died for the right to be free and peacefully protest ...

However, no one took up arms so that rioters could run free to loot and burn. :shocked:

"Offended" means that the offended is offended by the offendee having an opinion, or view that differs from his and thus offends the offender.

This is especially acute because the offended typically can no longer coherently debate but have instread perfected their ability to scream in the offendees' faces while feigning offense.


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We have a contest between Roger Goodell and the Mayor of Seattle for who wins the Fecklessness Award for 2020. Any other nominees?

I will nominate every city council member of every city and town in the USA that votes to defund the police. However, my vote will go to Goodell.

Because, like many well-intentioned gestures, it will predictably backfire and make us more divided than we are ... if that's even possible.

There is nothing divisive about the lyrics. They are actually quite beautiful.

What's divisive (obviously, in my view) is describing it as the "Black National Anthem" and then expecting everyone to sing it.

We could always expand this new approach to include an Indian (ie Native American song ... btw I'm part Cherokee ...I feel slighted) and maybe a Hispanic song, certainly a song for the Italians, and don't forget the Irish.

E Pluribus Unum.

Agree.

Also I also find it odd the Pledge of Allegiance is conducted at the start of some club meetings here in the Villages. If the club's focus is centered around the country in some way, it makes sense. If I am going to a social group event, it seems out of place to have to have to 'commit my loyalty to the country flag'. One doesn't do that when they walk into a bar.

Let the arrogance fly.

To all objecting to the 'Black' National Anthem, why does it matter what is done at NFL games. I thought all of you stopped watching the NFL three years ago when some players started to kneel. I guess you can't trust anyone to honor their word anymore.

To answer in general, people object to injecting still more divisiveness into an already divided country. What could possibly go wrong?

Not a matter of violating their word etc ...apples & oranges.

If you pledge to stop watching the NFL, you should stop watching the NFL. If the NFL adopts policies that one might not be in agreement with, it shouldn't matter because you stopped watching. Seventy percentage of the NFL player are black or other minorities so why shouldn't they have an anthem played before the National anthem? The patriots are only watching their game.

As to the divide, the divide started in the conservative, white community, pushed by Fox News since the mid 2000's and continues today. Just read the threads on this forum. It all about divide.

If The VIllages, as a community, has anything to be embarrassed about (in reference to being embarassed by the recent video), it is these postings that continue here that should be embarrassing. Everyone acts like little kids that aren't getting their way.

In most cases, if our grandkids of the various posters would read what is put on here, they would tell us to knock it off as their generation is more tolerant.

Very simple. Many of us actually enjoy patriotic participation.
And have done so for very, VERY many years.

Many do and many don't. If the public event has a patriotic purpose, then do. If it doesn't, it shouldn't. Just because you have for many, many years is admirable to your dedication, but isn't a merit for the action for all to take.

Many are embarrassed by American patriotism... kind of makes some people, who self-identify as enlightened, wince. However, most people can decode the phraseology and underlying beliefs pretty easily

Oh, how sweet.
 

. and it was first recited by 500 school kids as a tribute to abraham lincoln on his birthday.. does that make you want to stand up and celebrate and then take a knee ?

That was then, and this is now. Quite different.

The point is it's being introduced as an alternative national anthem but only to one segment of the population which by definition, and probably design, is divisive. ... yes, I will definitely take a knee in protest.

I would also protest some rioter toppling a statue of Abraham Lincoln for that matter

Best rendition of the National Anthem
 

In my opinion, the very best rendition of our National Anthem in my lifetime was done by Whitney Houston at Super Bowl XXV, January 1991. If I remember right, she sang it a capella. I have never heard better.

Us Jews have have a catchy tune and I understand the Italians to a great sing along. When is it our turn? As downtrodden immigrants? Hey do the Indians sing ? I could use a good rain dance . :)

I haven’t watch the NFL for four years and never will again. I hope a lot more people join me. Happy Fourth of July🇺🇸

I’m sick of people trying to apply the self deprecating judgments that exist today to what was going on 200 years ago. Slavery was obviously not a good thing, but it was accepted and prevalent at that time. Slaves were owned in the South and in the North. Slaves were also owned by free blacks. You can’t diminish everything those people back then accomplished because they happened to participate in something that was prevalent at that time. No more than you should be judged forever from something you may have done in the past!

No doubt in my mind, when they play that song, they will be standing and maybe even crying. (Phonies). Then once the National Anthem is played, all will take a knee. I am waiting to see if they will remove the National Anthem.

Whoever wrote that the third verse is confusing is right. I’ve spent the past 43 years teaching students how to analyze poetry. Here is my take on it.
Verse:

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.

The first three lines asks what has happened to the British army that boasted the war would take away our home and country. In line four the answer is found: our soil was polluted by their foul footsteps, but that pollution has been washed out by their blood. “Hireling and slave” in line five refers to the British troops: mercenaries (hirelings) and drafted or “impressed” poor men (though they weren’t actually slaves, they were forced to serve against their will after being essentially kidnapped). So lines five and six mean that the British troops were running for their lives and dying because they couldn’t find a place to hide. Lines seven and eight concludes the tale of what happened to our enemies by saying our nation’s flag still waves over our land and home.

There! That wasn’t so hard, was it? (Laughing). Beyond question, it’s not an easy verse to understand. I think it would be hard to sing with feeling. It’s almost like singing in a foreign language. However, if you think about it, you’ll see that the first verse is nearly as difficult. Most people who have it memorized would probably have a hard time explaining what is happening, to whom, and when.

I love our National Anthem, but I don’t consider Key a good poet or lyricist. I don’t mind working to figure out a piece of poetry, but good lyric poetry meant to be sung is usually more straightforward so the singers have a better idea of what they are singing about.

listening to imus a few yrs ago, he asked warner wolf's ( then program sportscaster ) opinion of cowboy's upcoming success. dallas was in doldrums then & not having much success. surprised at wolf's optimistic response, imus queried him further.
wolf then expanded & said 10 arrests, 6 convictions - haven't watched the nfl since.'

prediction: including 'black anthem' will only lead to further racial division. white viewers will turn off the nfl in disgust. white viewers outnumber blacks & have more buying power. that, coupled w/mommy-daddy concerns re concussion probability, american football will fall out of favor as viewer pastime. no viewership = sponsor flight. sponsor flight = diminished ad revenue. no ad revenue = less $ for player paychecks/fines/bail $/lawyer fees

the nfl will have been a major contributor & cause of its own demise.

IF rap/hip-hop/ganster rap were not supported by whites, it would have no audience either.

just my opinion based only on economics !

Systemic racism
 

On top of all this, now the Washington Redskins are now going to have to change their name, as FEDEX, who owns their stadium is putting lots of pressure and Nike has removed all of their team products and advertisers are being pressured to abandon them.

This will start a chain reaction that will force other teams to do the same, even if their names only SEEM racist like the Cleveland BROWNS, and for sure the Cleveland INDIANS. New England PATRIOTS would sound racist to SOME groups and if they protest enough they could get their way. Maybe just change ALL the teams to Numbers, like the Philadelphia 76 ers.

It will continue as long as we the people allow it to happen!

If we love our country and our history we are in trouble.

Why do POC feel that there is still a major issue with racism in this country? I present for you a facebook posting by an election officer in Mississippi. She likely will tell you she is not a racist and is perfectly capable of conducting an election without racial animus. She has not resigned.

Her explanation for her posting is just as bad.
"We've always in the past had whites really participating in registering to vote. So many people don't seem to be concerned about [voting]. This was an error on my part."

Will they be Singing ??h
 

So, they might be standing . they might be crying .. BUT will they be singing ?? Before Goodell announced it, how many blacks would have been able to answer the following questions: Is there a Black National Anthem ? What is the name of it ? Who is the author ? Can you sing the lyrics ?? It might be played as a spiritual in some Churches.. hmm there's another question .. what percentage of black FAMILIES attend church ?

oh by the way, The Star Spangled Banner is the National Anthem of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .. Do Blacks in other countries recognize this as their Anthem ?
One NATION UNDER GOD .. Happy Fourth of July

Pretty song, but by the time it ends (three minutes +), I'm afraid I'd be at the concession stand for another hot dog and beer. I wonder just how man of the athletes that now take a knee during the National Anthem even know the words to this song? And while we are destined to hear it before sporting events, and by repitition maybe even sing along to it, it should never be played before our National Anthem. We don't dip our flag to host countries during the Olympics, nor do we allow other flags to hoist higher than Old Glory.

The Star Spangled Banner was adopted by Congress in 1931 as the National Anthem.

How many Americans of any color know the words to the Star Spangled Banner, and I mean the first part which is played all the time. What are ramparts? How many people in the stands or on the field ever are seen singing during the playing of the anthem? No one has ever suggested the term Black National Anthem is meant to indicate that POC do not believe that the SSB is not our National Anthem. The term is used like Gator Nation is used for UF or Buckeye Nation for THE OSU. No one suggests that playing the alma mater of OSU or its fight song somehow means that people who are part of Buckeye Nation are not part of the USA.

The poem and song are not just sung in Black churches. It is No 519 in the United Methodist Hymnal. It has been used in Presbyterian white churches
And even in white churches in Nebraska


As to whatever you are suggesting by wondering how often Black families go to church.. Really? Are you suggesting that looking at church attendance somehow tells you something about being good or bad people? White people go to church but black families don't which explains our national problems... right? Please look up church attendance by race in the US and come back with the answer to your question.

National Anthem
 

Star Spangled Banner adopted as the National Anthem of the United States on March 3rd, 1931!!

One black professor had his own take on the "Black National Anthem". From a CNN article:

You are going to hear it before the first regular season game only. Once unless you watch several first games from different teams. As to your suggestion that it should never be played before the SSB, you have it wrong. Example when a National Hockey League game is played in the US, they play Oh Canada first and the SSB last. The SSB is the last event before the beginning of the game. That explains the old joke What are the last 2 words of the SSB? Play Ball.

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Wanna make a bet that it will stop at 'first game only"?
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Excellent and informed post :coolsmiley: