Well, that was kind of anti-climactic.
I must say, I’m amused more than anything else. Nothing but etiquette stops me from moving about during the real national anthem, and if I’m in the bowels of the stadium and can’t even see the flag, I continue moving anyway. That you expect me to treat this prayer to an invisible fairy in the sky in that way says quite a bit about you.
Were you at an actual game when this happened? What did you do? Or were you watching on TV? (In that case, you’re probably safe if you fail to stand at attention, unless (speaking of the Two Minutes Hate) your state is really into the 1984 thing and there’s Oceania-type inspectors watching your behavior through your TV set . :eek:
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, and I don’t like it being played at ball games with the expectation that fans need to stand at attention for it. I admit that when at baseball games I have a habit of leaving my seat (or at least stand up, ready to leave) in the middle of the 7th inning so the issue of standing at attention never comes up. Maybe the courageous thing would be to keep my seat and potentially get into fights with the occasional super-patriot, but I’d rather not turn an evening’s entertainment into a big-time confrontation.
Surrender? 
*Does everybody else really hold their hand over their heart during the playing of the anthem? I stand up, remove my hat and try to avoid conversation and scratching during the anthem, but I don’t think I’ve done the hand-over-the-heart thing since fourth grade.
I was including alternatives with what we are well served by.
Yes, I’ve been at games when this happened, but last night I was watching it on TV.
The Rockies were playing it on Sundays (until 2007 anyways, don’t know if they still do), and I ignored the instructions. It actually worked out quite well for getting a last beer and hot dog before the sales cutoff, as so many people stayed locked in place.
Yeah, I saw this when they were playing the Canadiens in the playoffs in 2010. I just don’t think it’s a good song (and I also find it distasteful to sing songs about “God” during non-religious gatherings), while I do like The Star-Spangled Banner very much. I’m not American, but I think it’s a great national anthem.
Also, they had the singer be accompanied by a audio/video recording of who I understand is this Kate Smith, singing her famous rendition of the song. Yes, I understand that it’s some sort of tradition for the fans there, but why replace a (good) national anthem by a dead singer singing a bad song?
That is when you flip out the military ID an tell them to sod off.
I didn’t think your attention span could handle any more.
Do I detect a tone of haughty superiority? I guess I should feel humbled,
or something.
Surprisingly reasonable, considering the source.
Sounds like I pegged your attention span about right, since I specified aesthetic
rather than religious grounds for taking the position I did. I think the music and
the lyrics possess considerable artistic merit, and although I am an atheist I see
no reason to automatically take offence at religious expression, especially when
it can be treated as metaphor, such as when our anthem asks for God’s blessing
and guidance. Do you really have a problem with that?
And of course it says quite a bit about you when you speak dismissively about a
work of art because of its-gasp!- religious content. I mean, unless you wanna
whitewash the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and shred every copy of Paradise Lost you
can get your hands on, then maybe you outa stop being so anal about “invisible
fairies in the sky” and whatnot.
As a matter of fact, you ignorant fuck, the tune was written by Irving Berlin,
one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
Speaking of ignorant fucks, you obviously can’t parse a sentence.
Frank was referring to the tune for The Star-Spangled Banner, which probably WAS written by drunks.
If I’ve said that before, I was either foolish and/or I’ve since changed my mind. I’ll continue to stand for it because…well, because I’m too lazy not to, honestly. I don’t care enough either way to have people look at me funny. But I completely respect you not choosing to stand.
My little form of rebellion is just that I don’t take off my hat for it, generally. I’m hardcore like that.
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.
You mean the previous post that I was replying to, the one that I quoted so that it was actually in the post that you failed to grasp the context of? That one? Yes, I can see how it could be difficult for someone of your condition to understand what was going on there. Better luck next time!
I am finding the ageism around here more and more wearing as I get older and older. As we all do. Most of us do not lose the ability to reason as we age, and I find your assumptions extremely offensive. I thought we were fighting ignorance around here, not spreading it. I have seen this attitude more and more lately and I am very tired of it. Some say fat is the last thing left that it’s ok to discriminate against but it seems like it’s ok to insult old people too. If anyone on the Dope makes negative remarks about other groups they immediately get jumped on but no one sticks up for the old farts. Sorry for ranting in the middle of your rant, Frank.
Yup, that’s the one.
And now that you know who wrote the song this stupid little thread of yours is all about,
waddaya gonna post for an encore threadstart?- “White Christmas sucks”? That would be
in keeping with your trendy, sophomoric, worm’s eye view of life.
What on earth are you talking about?
kayt is exactly right here, and Una Persson should retract her bigoted comment with apologies.
Take comfort in knowing that youth and skill is no match for age and treachery.
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.
Either you or colonial is suffering from the lack of ability to reason. I wonder which of you it is?
