# God Bless America is not the fucking national anthem! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 7, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856 "2011-10-07T02:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/81 "2011-10-08T00:48:52Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > What on earth are you talking about? I am talking about the fact that the great artist Irving Berlin composed BOTH the iconic song _God Bless America_ AND the iconic song _White Christmas._ I think he lived to be over 100 years old, and was one of the few artists to ever outlive (some of?) his copyrights. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/82 "2011-10-08T00:49:45Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > I am talking about the fact that the great artist Irving Berlin composed > BOTH the iconic song _God Bless America_ AND the iconic song _White Christmas._ So what? ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/83 "2011-10-08T00:53:03Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I don’t care who wrote God Bless America. Why does it matter who wrote it? It’s a popular song, and there’s a place for it in the cultural mosaic of America. > > I do care when numbnuts like you and the public address announcers at ballparks want me to treat it like it’s something sacred. There IS something sacred, in a stricly secular sense, about great art, and I am beginning to realise that your problem is not that too much great art is being crammed down your throat, but rather that not enough is. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/84 "2011-10-08T00:53:44Z")
Dear Mr. President, there are too many states. Please delete three. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/85 "2011-10-08T00:56:57Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > There IS something sacred, in a stricly secular sense, about great art, > and I am beginning to realise that your problem is not that too much > great art is being crammed down your throat, but rather that not enough is. Please stand and remove your hats while the curator of the Louvre carries the Mona Lisa across the outfield. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/86 "2011-10-08T01:03:11Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > So what? Berlin’s art is a case where the culture has displayed good taste, yet you can think of nothing but to trash them. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/87 "2011-10-08T01:05:45Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > Berlin’s art is a case where the culture has displayed good taste, > yet you can think of nothing but to trash them. That’s what you’re getting out of this conversation? That I started the thread because I believe that God Bless America is a horrible song and Irving Berlin a hack? Surely you can’t be serious. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/88 "2011-10-08T01:07:35Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Please stand and remove your hats while the curator of the Louvre carries the Mona Lisa across the outfield. I will happily stand, and put my hand over my heart as well. I take it we could count on another temper tantrum from you if you went to the real Louvre and they asked you to take off your hat inside. How dare they! What of My Rights! My Freedom! ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/89 "2011-10-08T01:15:56Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > That I started the thread because I believe that God Bless America is a horrible song You do not come right out and say so, but yes, I do think you believed it was a horrible song before… > [@Frank](#): > > and Irving Berlin a hack? Surely you can’t be serious. …before I clued you in on who wrote it, which is now leading to all kinds of serious gyrations and contortions by you as you try to squirm out of the corner you have found yourself in. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/90 "2011-10-08T01:17:42Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > You do not come right out and say so, but yes, I do think you believed > it was a horrible song before… > > …before I clued you in on who wrote it, which is now leading to all kinds of serious > gyrations and contortions by you as you try to squirm out of the corner you have > found yourself in. It seems that you can supply both sides of the conversation all by yourself, so I’ll leave you to it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/91 "2011-10-08T01:19:42Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > There IS something sacred, in a stricly secular sense, about great art, > and I am beginning to realise that your problem is not that too much > great art is being crammed down your throat, but rather that not enough is. Neither _God Bless America_ nor _White Christmas_ is Great Art. They aren’t even art. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/92 "2011-10-08T01:23:15Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > You know, I’ve been playing this chatroom game since exactly 2/04, and I have > never had anyone call me out on my ability to “parse”, really, never until this day. That’s astonishing. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/93 "2011-10-08T01:23:58Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Neither _God Bless America_ nor _White Christmas_ is Great Art. They aren’t even art. Both are great art to anyone unless they have a tin ear like yours. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/94 "2011-10-08T01:26:47Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > That’s astonishing. Got anything of substance to contribute, or are two-word one-liners all you have in you? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/95 "2011-10-08T01:48:19Z")
I’d like to say “goodbye” but it probably won’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/96 "2011-10-08T01:58:32Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > You know, I’ve been playing this chatroom game since exactly 2/04, and I have > never had anyone call me out on my ability to “parse”, really, never until this day. > > The fact of the matter is that I “parsed” Frankie’s post just fine, taken in isolation. > Where I slipped up was not “parsing” the immedaitely previous post carefully enough. > Mea culpa! However, I think it was appropriate to invoke the great name of the great artist > who composed the great song, and that makes up for my slip-up, you silly lil ho. First of all, if you’ve only been online since 2004, then, as far as I’m concerned, you’re a rank newbie. And I’m holding my nose. Second of all, just in case you hadn’t noticed, you’re not in a chat room here. What you could get away with in a chat room will not pass unnoticed nor unremarked here. Third of all, if you think either Frank or I were ignorant of who wrote God Bless America before you “revealed” it to us, then you have too high an opinion of your store of knowledge. Fourth of all, if you think who wrote God Bless America has fuck all to do with the point of this thread, you need to learn how to reason from Point A to Point B, because, dude, you took a left while the rest of us were driving straight ahead. Fifth of all … you know what? No fifth of all. You aren’t worth it. From what I’ve seen of you, you’re not interested in contributing, only in beating your drum and our heads. **PLONK** ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/97 "2011-10-08T01:58:41Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I agree though. America The Beautiful is not my national anthem, there’s a God reference in it which makes it ineligible for replacing the current anthem\* in my view, Just for reference, there’s a God reference in the Star Spangled Banner, too, so, that’s six of one, half a dozen of the other. If anything, it’s even more blatant, because it’s not just asking God to bless America, it’s saying that God actively created and is intervening to protect America. 4th verse, lines 3-6: > [@](#): > > Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land > Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. > Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, > And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.” ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/98 "2011-10-08T01:59:14Z")
You should use “My Country 'Tis Of Thee” as your national anthem. The tune should be especially fitting for a **colonial**. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/99 "2011-10-08T02:01:52Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > **PLONK** Oh, it’s on, and it’s old school! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856/100 "2011-10-08T02:15:12Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > And then there will be a first inning stretch in which mandatory prayer is offered; and a eighth inning stretch were the crowd all says bad things about illegal immigrants and checks everyone else’s ID to see if they’re in the ballpark legally. Thanks for coming out to the game, President Perry! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-bless-america-is-not-the-fucking-national-anthem/598856.md?page=6)