The Anthem Controversy
So I’m a little flummoxed about the national anthem controversy as it moves into its sophomore season.
On one hand, I have no idea why a secular sports event needs to include the national anthem (or God Bless America). So I have no problem with guys using that space to make a heartfelt non-football statement when it does get performed, because the NFL has basically declared open mic.
But in saying that, I’m harboring a guilty secret: I love playing the anthem for a stadium of 105000 who are singing full-throated as I’m playing. It’s a physical rush that has nothing to do with politics or patriotism, it’s just a personal pleasure, a musical selfie. Musically, the anthem is hard to sing, and many vocalists have foundered on the iceberg of “the land of the free”, either stylistically or simply because they’re not physically not up to the task, or both. Despite that, people in the crowd are singing, and I’m sure that in some quarters it’s not pretty, but it’s tempting to extrapolate this combined cacophony into a kumbaya moment, where there’s more harmony than enmity.
And I think there’s some truth there, even as the dying echo of “home of the brave” triggers the dissipation of this ephemeral unity and we return to Home and Away, Republican and Democrat. I think there’s value in anything that conjoins us, even for a few measures of bad intonation and limited vocal range.
But for those who just aren’t swept up in what they might regard as a cheesy or even malevolent coalescence, I don’t think it should be enforced. I have no problem if they use that open mic to express their own views on patriotism, justice and anything else, including lousy singing.
Cut the anthem and God Bless and all the other non-sports pageantry, or allow all manner of respectful, heartfelt reflection and projection.
Mr. Perils,
Much respect for all that’s here. To some, “unity” means “Zee people vill stand in unison, und do zee unity sing exactly my vay, vich is zee only vay to have zee unity.” Which is scary as hell.
It is shocking to see someone sitting or kneeling or chit chatting during the anthem. It also invites discussion of the issues behind the dissent, which is a good thing.
To a person who thinks independently, it’s just as shocking, even a little scary, to see the other 104,999 blindly stand up for a time-worn ritual because — what? why? and why not ask those questions?
My old HS friend — you remember reading my post mentioning him here http://www.playininthedirt.com/2016/09/29/let-him-sit/ — and I had a great time at a Mariners game last month. We stood for the anthem, but it happened to be a Sunday, where you have to stand up for God Bless in the 7th inning before you can sing Take Me Out. We sat. Nobody in the nice seats confronted a couple old men about it. But I wonder, if we were still 17 and shaggy, and sitting in the bleachers, what would have happened? “It didn’t really matter if the truth was there, it was the cut of his clothes and the length of his hair…” _Johnny Cash
Enough for now,
bw
Bill, they sing God Bless here? I thought that was just in New York, an afterglow of 911. Thanks for your thoughtful reply!
Ok, reread that eloquent piece. Mine is merely Cliff Notes in comparison.