Star Spangled Banner

[Anonymous]

MENC Executive Director John Mahlmann, “Learning patriotic songs helps our children form bonds with their communities and instills pride in the American ideals we all hold close to our hearts – freedom, liberty and equality.

One reason to know the national anthem, I guess. Sure glad I never had to learn and sing the national anthem of Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia or any other country where people don't have the same freedoms and equality and democracy we have in the US.

[Anonymous]

My son's sixth grade class just finished memorizing the whole Francis Scott Key poem. Our anthem in only one stanza of the poem. He is in a private school now. While at MoCo schools for grades K-3, he never sang it or learned it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems that our country's national anthem should be taught in schools..period.

Why? Is an anthem really necessary? It's great that you feel loyal to it and all, but I think the US would be fine without it.

So does that mean you aren't particularly loyal and couldn't give a crap?

You're obviously jonesing for that fight, huh? It's been done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MENC Executive Director John Mahlmann, “Learning patriotic songs helps our children form bonds with their communities and instills pride in the American ideals we all hold close to our hearts – freedom, liberty and equality.

One reason to know the national anthem, I guess. Sure glad I never had to learn and sing the national anthem of Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia or any other country where people don't have the same freedoms and equality and democracy we have in the US.

Wait, what? Making children sing the national anthem in school teaches them to be grateful that they don't live in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia? I don't get it. And what about countries where people do have the same freedoms and quality and democracy we have in the US (or more!)? Do you want to learn and sing the national anthems of those countries?

[Anonymous]

Why don't you teach it to her?

[Anonymous]

Free country? You call suspending 6 year olds for kissing a peer, being discouraged from discussing politics in school, and having your personal emails stored and surveilled by your own gov free? Much as I don't enjoy the nat'l anthem or know the words, I actually do agree that kids should be taught the words. I would prefer them learn that once than recite the pledge of allegiance every day. The pledge was not meant to be recited daily by anyone, let alone school children.

[Anonymous]

When I was in 6th grade in 1990 in MCPS, my teacher offered a candy bar to anyone who could recite The Star Spangled Banner. I think only 2 other kids besides me could do it, and it was really only because I had been to so many Orioles games.

Many other patriotic songs are taught in social studies in elementary school, just not the National Anthem. I think the Pledge of Allegiance fills th need for instilling students' daily dose of patrotism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you teach it to her?

+1

Do you really rely on your kid's public school to teach her everything?? Of course there are things that your kid won't be taught in public school. It's your job to fill those gaps.

Damn lazy a$$ parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son's sixth grade class just finished memorizing the whole Francis Scott Key poem. Our anthem in only one stanza of the poem. He is in a private school now. While at MoCo schools for grades K-3, he never sang it or learned it.

[Anonymous]

Wait, what? Making children sing the national anthem in school teaches them to be grateful that they don't live in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia? I don't get it. And what about countries where people do have the same freedoms and quality and democracy we have in the US (or more!)? Do you want to learn and sing the national anthems of those countries

She probably doesn't want to learn those foreign anthems as she doesn't live in any of those countries or benefit from them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was in 6th grade in 1990 in MCPS, my teacher offered a candy bar to anyone who could recite The Star Spangled Banner. I think only 2 other kids besides me could do it, and it was really only because I had been to so many Orioles games.

Many other patriotic songs are taught in social studies in elementary school, just not the National Anthem. I think the Pledge of Allegiance fills th need for instilling students' daily dose of patrotism.

Elementary school in 1990? Sounds like it is the younger generation who is not learning the anthem.

[Anonymous]

It's a crappy song. Aside from patriotic reasons, it's about the last song anyone should be wasting time in music class on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a crappy song. Aside from patriotic reasons, it's about the last song anyone should be wasting time in music class on.

It's not much of a poem either.

[Anonymous]

It's the NATIONAL ANTHEM YOU MORON. It may be a crappy song, but it IS the NATIONAL ANTHEM, whether you like it as a song or not. It is one of the historic symbols of this country. Are you foreign? If so, go live someplace where you don't have what we have here. And if you are not foreign, go live in a backwards regime anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the NATIONAL ANTHEM YOU MORON. It may be a crappy song, but it IS the NATIONAL ANTHEM, whether you like it as a song or not. It is one of the historic symbols of this country. Are you foreign? If so, go live someplace where you don't have what we have here. And if you are not foreign, go live in a backwards regime anyway.

See, here's the thing. The NATIONAL ANTHEM obviously means a lot to you. In your frame of reference, only people who love and revere the national anthem are worthy Americans. Other people believe that being a good American has absolutely nothing to do with loyalty to any sort of anthem; in fact being forced to sing songs and pledge allegiances smacks of things that America does NOT stand for.

For a person like me, who gets a little teary when the National Anthem is sung well, people like you ruin it.