With all the stuff about the National Anthem lately...

[FSogol]

4. My take: the trouble with our past

The founding fathers (and other historical figures like Francis Scott Key) weren't deities or demigods, they were just people. The had flaws, went along with conventions of the time when convenient, and had serious gaps in their ethics.

They did manage to lay down a framework for a decent government where power is shared with a system of checks and balances. Is it perfect? Does it require a lot of work? Is it in danger these days? Can we do better? Yes to all of these.

I would encourage everyone who can to visit Fort McHenry in Baltimore. That was the fort that was shelled by the British during the attack. Key was a prisoner on the British ship and observed the bombardment. The fort couldn't fight back since their guns had a 1 mile range. The British cannons fired 1-1/2 miles and couldn't be touched. In the morning, the American fort still stood and the British turned tail. The NPS interpreters tell the story well and the actual flag is on display in the Smithsonian in DC.

It became the anthem because it was about perseverance against overwhelming odds. "Rockets red glare and bombs burst in midair" is a memorable phrase. Key didn't like the fact that some freed slaves sided with the British. That's understandable (what's your opinion on the Confederacy?), but it is easy to sympathize with the slaves.

My point in all this is that the history is not clean or simple. Key is remembered for penning a poem based on an event he witnessed. He isn't remembered for his views on slavery. Rather than call Key out 200 years after his death, we should address the serious problems we have today. The national anthem isn't one of those problems.