saying that I plan on remaining seated at any event--concert or sports--when the national anthem is played. I stopped singing it a long
time ago because I didn't like the glorification of war and imperialism in it. Tomorrow night will be a test, because the NC Symphony always
plays the national anthem at their opening concert for the new season. Of course, I'll be in the very blue town of Chapel Hill, so maybe
there will be a few people who will join me in remaining seated.
Here's my letter
In regard to the uproar over San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick not standing for the national anthem prior to football games, this Medicare-card-carrying old white woman decided years ago to stop singing “The Star Spangled Banner” because she didn’t like the fact that it glorified imperialism and war. I had no idea about the other verses. Now that I know, I intend to remain seated whenever it is played –whether at a concert or sporting event – until this country matches the reality of social justice – for all – with its rhetoric. My veteran husband (Major, USAF, retired) has no problem with my position.
On Sunday, the Raleigh paper published a letter from a guy who accused me of historical inaccuracy and called me ""selfish, indecent, and dishonorable" for
not standing for the national anthem.
Here's his letter
The writer of the Sept. 8 letter “Count me in” stopped standing for the anthem and saying the pledge years ago because it represents war and imperialism. Influenced by anti-American ideology obviously.
Well over 1.3 million American war dead; hundreds of millions freed from tyranny, including genocide and how much land and wealth did America take in return? We only asked for enough land to bury our dead, which are located in hundreds of cemeteries overseas. Trillions in U.S. wealth expended for the freedom of others.
Additionally outside of war, the first responders for worldwide national disasters is the U.S. military providing rescue efforts and material and medical aid without handing over a bill. No other country in the world does this and certainly not at our level of activity.
Puerto Rico and Guam like their present status and have in referendums refused statehood and independence. And we are still sacrificing to protect Europe, Korea, Japan, all countries once enemies rebuilt at our expense.
The writer’s actions are the equivalent to spitting on the graves of those war dead, not based on historical fact, and although a civil right, most certainly a selfish, indecent and dishonorable act.
Today, there was a letter published from a (Caucasian) combat veteran calling out "the hypocrisy of these false patriots. They deny him his right to independent thought and action, while demanding his unquestioning respect for a song that extols our nation as the 'land of the free'." He ended his letter by saying he applauds "Kaepernick's courage in bringing this hypocrisy to the world's attention."
Here's the rest of the letter
The continuing criticism of Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand during the singing of “The Star Spangled Banner” demonstrates clearly the hypocrisy of false patriots. They deny him his right to independent thought and action, while demanding his unquestioning respect for a song that extols our nation as the “land of the free.” But are we truly free?
Our prison population surpasses that of all others, and too many of our residents – disproportionately people of color – spend years in jail for nonviolent offenses, exercising their right to dissent, or simply being too poor to post bail.
An open-minded study of U.S. history demonstrates that our current world dominance has been built on the backs of the enslaved, the exploited and those robbed of their cultures when white European imperialists conquered their territories. And a thoughtful reading of our national anthem’s lyrics demonstrate it to be a crass glorification of war and empire-building. It celebrates the fact that our flag “yet waves,” as it did when the lyrics were penned in 1814, over once-sovereign territories that the U.S. conquered by military might.
As a U.S. combat veteran, I applaud Kaepernick’s courage in bringing this hypocrisy to the world’s attention.
And here's my response--still waiting to see if it's published--to the guy who insulted me
As the author of the Sept. 8th letter for which David Campbell (Sept. 11) accused me of being historically inaccurate and of "selfish, indecent, and dishonorable" behavior for not standing during the performance of the national anthem, I would suggest Mr. Campbell do a little reading about the War of 1812. He might discover that the war resulted in a tremendous loss of life and lands of Native Americans (who were supported by the British). The young United States also invaded Ontario, Canada, hoping to annex that land. Canadians consider the defeat of the Americans one of their defining moments in asserting their own independence as a nation.
The War of 1812-- a war of imperialism and calculated expansion by the United States--is celebrated in The Star Spangled Banner written by Francis Scott Key after the Battle for Baltimore in 1814. As of 2015, the United States had been at war--with other countries, Native Americans, or among its own states--for 222 years out of 239 years since 1776. That is historical fact. Look it up.
Neither my husband--Major, USAF (Retired)-- nor many other veterans concerned about social and racial injustice are insulted by my action.
= new reply since forum marked as read
s!
