# 4th of July Dimwittery.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [July 14, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538 "2005-07-14T17:39:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/1 "2005-07-14T17:39:27Z")
OK.
Read [THIS](http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/07/14/town.apology.ap/)
_ **How** _ in the name of the Sainted Phoebe B. Beebee, Miracle Ape could some drone think this was a good plan?
First a castor oil enema, then mocking, for all concerned.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/2 "2005-07-14T17:58:19Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Vince Kendrick, the town’s director of parks and recreation, took responsibility on behalf of city officials Tuesday in a written apology. He did not name the employee who put the song in the lineup.
>
> “If it was Memorial Day, no one would have minded,” Kendrick said.
Yes we would have. Oh and for those not familar with this guys ancestory the “R” is silent.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/3 "2005-07-14T18:03:06Z")
I’m willing to give them some benefit of a doubt. They may not have realized that this particular version of “God Bless the USA” was the 9/11 remix until it was played.
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### Author:  [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/4 "2005-07-14T18:53:50Z")
Sounds like a mistake rather than something that was planned to me
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/5 "2005-07-14T19:12:30Z")
Can you explain the hideousness of this again? Around here, “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?” and “God Bless the USA” were played on July 4 radio, with snippets of soldiers and their families, etc., we were told it was a day to celebrate freedom and honor those who died to preserve it. With the 9/11 attacks being described as an attack on freedom, why is bringing them up on July 4 so awful?
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### Author:  [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/6 "2005-07-14T19:20:35Z")
> [@gigi](#):
>
> Can you explain the hideousness of this again? Around here, “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?” and “God Bless the USA” were played on July 4 radio, with snippets of soldiers and their families, etc., we were told it was a day to celebrate freedom and honor those who died to preserve it. With the 9/11 attacks being described as an attack on freedom, why is bringing them up on July 4 so awful?
I’m not sure whether you read the link. The difference is between snippets of solders and their families and recordings from the cell phones of people trapped in the towers.
I’m not sure whether listening to the calls of the condemned is an appropriate way to celebrate our independence.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/7 "2005-07-14T19:24:25Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#):
>
> I’m willing to give them some benefit of a doubt. They may not have realized that this particular version of “God Bless the USA” was the 9/11 remix until it was played.
That a 9-11 remix even exists disgusts me. Lee Greenwood is such a morbid tool.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/8 "2005-07-14T19:31:14Z")
> [@gigi](#):
>
> Can you explain the hideousness of this again? Around here, “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?” and “God Bless the USA” were played on July 4 radio, with snippets of soldiers and their families, etc., we were told it was a day to **celebrate** freedom and honor those who died to preserve it. With the 9/11 attacks being described as an attack on freedom, why is bringing them up on July 4 so awful?
I think that word in bold is where they went wrong. July 4th is meant to be a day of celebration, not mourning. Kinda hard to celebrate when you’re listening to the last words of a victim of the worst terror attack in US history.
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/9 "2005-07-14T20:06:43Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> That a 9-11 remix even exists disgusts me. Lee Greenwood is such a morbid tool.
Agreed. I remember hearing about this when it was rushed into release and wondering what the hell they were thinking. How is this thing any more noble or patriotic or respectful of the victims than a snuff film?
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/10 "2005-07-14T20:34:57Z")
But Greenwood’s a Republican, so that makes it all right. 😉
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/11 "2005-07-14T20:39:17Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> That a 9-11 remix even exists disgusts me. Lee Greenwood is such a morbid tool.
Maybe so but the song is 20 years old and I don’t think he had anything to do with the remix.
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### Author:  [@Selenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Selenus)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/12 "2005-07-14T20:47:32Z")
Anyone else get the impression that at best, it cheapens the victims? Besides, it’s a terrible scare tactic, used at a time of celebration.
You could say that on independence day, the people who die to preserve the values of that independence should be honoured. But this particular method is inappropriate, IMHO.
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/13 "2005-07-14T20:50:25Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> That a 9-11 remix even exists disgusts me. Lee Greenwood is such a morbid tool.
Oh, for cryin’ out loud. Is there anything that doesn’t disgust you? The reason the guy apologized was because the song was a downer on the mood, not because he had just murdered a smiling baby.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/14 "2005-07-14T21:42:57Z")
I agree with Guinastasia on this one; taking something these real phone calls about a real tragedy and using them to pimp a song is disgusting.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/15 "2005-07-14T21:46:03Z")
I think “God Bless America” was pretty disgusting even before the version sampling 9/11. Fuckin’ gawdawful song.
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### Author:  [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/16 "2005-07-14T22:29:53Z")
> [@Liberal](#):
>
> Oh, for cryin’ out loud. Is there anything that doesn’t disgust you? The reason the guy apologized was because the song was a downer on the mood, not because he had just murdered a smiling baby.
You two need to go ahead and get a room.
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### Author:  [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/17 "2005-07-14T23:12:50Z")
> [@Selenus](#):
>
> Anyone else get the impression that at best, it cheapens the victims? Besides, it’s a terrible scare tactic, used at a time of celebration.
> You could say that on independence day, the people who die to preserve the values of that independence should be honoured. But this particular method is inappropriate, IMHO.
Not to mention that the 9/11 victims were just that, victims. They didn’t choose to die, and their deaths didn’t preserve values of independence or anything along those lines. They were, if you’ll forgive me for using T. McV’s term, collateral damage.
And **Miller** , you mean “God Bless the USA”, right, not “God Bless America”? Nothing wrong with that song.
_Stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with the light from a bulb._
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/18 "2005-07-14T23:14:47Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#):
>
> And **Miller** , you mean “God Bless the USA”, right, not “God Bless America”? Nothing wrong with that song.
:smack:
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### Author:  [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/19 "2005-07-15T14:03:39Z")
> [@](#):
>
> That a 9-11 remix even exists disgusts me. Lee Greenwood is such a morbid tool.
I didn’t know there _was_ a remix of that song. We’re all doomed. :smack:
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-dimwittery/312538/20 "2005-07-15T15:38:23Z")
> [@Liberal](#):
>
> Oh, for cryin’ out loud. Is there anything that doesn’t disgust you? The reason the guy apologized was because the song was a downer on the mood, not because he had just murdered a smiling baby.
**Lib** , I’m not talking about the people who appologized for playing it-they made a mistake, most likely, and that’s unfortunate, but it happens.
I’m talking about Greenwood, you know, the artist who did “God Bless the U.S.A.” in the first place, then either arranged for there to be a “9-11 remix”, or at the very least, gave his blessing. (I would think he’d have to). Why would someone create that in the first place?
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#):
>
> Maybe so but the song is 20 years old and I don’t think he had anything to do with the remix.
It’s still his song, I believe (he wrote it, IIRC), and I would think that with copyrights, he’d have to give his permission for them to do such a thing. If he didn’t, I’ll appologize for that, but I still can’t stand that maudlin piece of dreck, even BEFORE it was remixed. Not because I’m not patriotic, or because I’m hateful to people who are. But because the song SUCKS.
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