Love the song? The song is getting old and become like just another cliche
It would be refreshing to recreate it a little. Maybe a new tune or change the order of the words or something

I'm conservative and normally I stand with my hat off, but not with my hand on my heart. seems excessive.

that said, love the song, love the story, love Baltimore and love the fort.

But it's only since 9/11 that Bud Selig starting making them sing it every 7th inning stretch. Do the O's even sing thank god I'm a country boy anymore?

You're right about 9/11, and yes, John Denver is still played at O's games, but after God Bless America.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take my hat off but don't put my hand on my heart, but then I hate the fact that they play God Bless America at ballgames now.

They've been playing Irving Berlin's beautiful song at ballgames for decades. Here's Kate Smith introducing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnQDW-NMaRs

But it's only since 9/11 that Bud Selig starting making them sing it every 7th inning stretch. Do the O's even sing thank god I'm a country boy anymore?

Anonymous wrote:I feel silly when I am forced by convention of society to these little gestures.
My love for the flag or the country will not change regardless of where my hand is.

Robert Hansen sang the anthem and kept his hand on the heart. What good did it do to him?

No one is forcing you. If you don't like to shake hands, do you blame people who offer you theirs?

Anonymous wrote:I take my hat off but don't put my hand on my heart, but then I hate the fact that they play God Bless America at ballgames now.

They've been playing Irving Berlin's beautiful song at ballgames for decades. Here's Kate Smith introducing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnQDW-NMaRs

I feel silly when I am forced by convention of society to these little gestures.
My love for the flag or the country will not change regardless of where my hand is.

Robert Hansen sang the anthem and kept his hand on the heart. What good did it do to him?

Anonymous wrote:I love the national anthem AND "This Land is Your Land." I was just correcting the PP who seemed to think that hippies singing the latter constituted flag-waving behavior.

I do hate "God Bless America," though, and resent its current status as almost co-national anthem.

Thanks to the PPs for clarifying the hand over heart question. I never did this growing up but may now.

Well it is. The flag is just a symbol for our country. The flag and flag waving only belong to the right wing if we let it happen.

I love the national anthem AND "This Land is Your Land." I was just correcting the PP who seemed to think that hippies singing the latter constituted flag-waving behavior.

I do hate "God Bless America," though, and resent its current status as almost co-national anthem.

Thanks to the PPs for clarifying the hand over heart question. I never did this growing up but may now.

Anonymous wrote:

Hell, even the hippies sang "This Land is Your Land" and they were as countercultural as it gets.

That's because "This Land is Your Land" IS "countercultural." Folk singer Woody Guthrie wrote it in response to "God Bless America" which he thought was trite.

One verse you may not know:

In the squares of the city,
In the shadow of a steeple;
By the relief office,
I'd seen my people.
As they stood there hungry,
I stood there asking,
Is this land made for you and me?

It may espouse different sentiments but hardly radical ones.

People put down our national anthem because they say it glorifies war. To the people of the day, it is a song about our survival. What is so bad about that ?

Hell, even the hippies sang "This Land is Your Land" and they were as countercultural as it gets.

That's because "This Land is Your Land" IS "countercultural." Folk singer Woody Guthrie wrote it in response to "God Bless America" which he thought was trite.

One verse you may not know:

In the squares of the city,
In the shadow of a steeple;
By the relief office,
I'd seen my people.
As they stood there hungry,
I stood there asking,
Is this land made for you and me?

I don't recall that that was the rule when I was growing up. Hand over heart during the Pledge was a given, but I recall just standing at attention during the anthem.

Anonymous wrote:MYOB.

If that is how you feel, you should not be posting your thoughts for other people to read and comment on. MYOB requires you to keep it to yourself.

MYOB.

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe how people lap up this nationalistic bullshit.

Why is it bullshit? Every country has an anthem. Are you not moved seeing athletes at the Olympic podium? Do you feel no sentiment for your country? Hell, even the hippies sang "This Land is Your Land" and they were as countercultural as it gets.

If you were to take issue with the lyrics of the national anthem, I could understand. But to just dismiss the entire thing, it's shows a lack of appreciation for our country. And I'm a lefty.