Comments on: Column: Oh, Say Can You See a New Anthem?

By: huh

huh — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:13:44 +0000

i think this is an attempt by bacon to get some national attention. queue the fake outrage on foxnews.com in 3… 2… 1…

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:44:24 +0000

I don’t know what Jim’s on about, but it is true that “God Bless America” has been viewed as somewhat grating to progressives (such as Woody Guthrie, as I mentioned above). And nobody who has lived through its identification with Kate Smith has emerged unscathed. :)

By: John U. Bacon

John U. Bacon — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:30:05 +0000

I’ve enjoyed reading the responses that follow these pieces, which have been almost uniformly well written and intelligent, whether they agree with my column or not. I usually keep my nose out of the comments section — after all, I’ve already had my turn – but on a few occasions I haven’t been able to resist responding, especially when it might help clarify the debate.

In this case, I’d first like to concede the point several have made about the references to God in both songs I cited. It’s as plain as day, as is our principle of separating church and state. I believe in that principle deeply, but I’m far more concerned with places of worship hosting political rallies, for example, than the relatively innocuous traditions of stamping “In God We Trust” on our currency, or having Barack Obama place his hand on the Lincoln bible while taking the oath of office.

I feel the thrust of Berlin’s “God Bless America” is less religious than patriotic. Raised in a Russian Jewish family whose house was burned down by the Cossacks, he often heard his mom say, after they settled in a basement apartment in New York, “God bless America.”

Thus, I believe Irving’s use of God is not specific to any religion. Though that still doesn’t do much for atheists, I realize, the religious references in Irving’s song are still a lot less overt than those of the rarely sung fourth verse of our national anthem, which all but beats the listener over the head with them. So, none of these choices is perfect. I just prefer the other two songs.

As for Jim M.’s “anger” over my columns’ “undercurrent of taunting of progressive and secular values,” as a secular progressive, whose subjects of late have addressed Olympic TV coverage, Michigan basketball, and the virtues of pond hockey, I’m a bit at a loss. But as Cosmonican said, that’s called “free speech.”

In the meantime, I’m cool with “Who Let the Dogs Out.”

Thanks for reading, and thanks for writing.

-John Bacon

By: ChrisW

ChrisW — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:59:29 +0000

I suggest “Who Let The Dogs Out”. It’s much more catchy than any of the songs listed above. Or maybe we should just Rickroll it for now on.

Seriously, who is going to sing America the Beautiful with verses like:

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!

“God Bless the USA” is a better song, although forcing God into the national anthem is kind of pathetic in my opinion. He’s already there in the 4th verse of The Star Spangled Banner, though.

By: Cosmonican

Cosmonican — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:07:40 +0000

It’s called “Free Speech” Jim, get over it.

By: Jim M.

Jim M. — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:05:52 +0000

I’m often angered by John Bacon’s columns and their undercurrent of taunting of progressive and secular values, here exemplified by the statement that Irving Berlin doesn’t give you much to quibble about. I’m sorry that he’s published here.

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:24:15 +0000

Woody wrote “This Land is Your Land” when he hitchhiked from OK to NY, and “God Bless America” happened to be a major hit and was on every radio station. (I had a similar experience with “Bette Davis Eyes.”) By the time he got to NY he was so sick of it he wrote a song attacking it. Check out the lyrics to the later stanzas. They’re all about “does God really Bless America?”

And Stars and Stripes singable? Maybe the trio (the “be kind to your web-footed friends” part), but the rest of it, not hardly.

By: susan wineberg

susan wineberg — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:47:52 +0000

I’d like to see the Stars and Stripes forever as our national anthem. It is a rousing march and very singable. My Country Tis of thee is really God save the Queen with different words.

By: dannyv

dannyv — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:24:33 +0000

It's become the practice at NY Yankee home games for God Bless America to be played during the 7th inning stretch. People are asked to stand for it's performance or playing. There was an incident where a fan was leaving his seat during it's performance to go to the restroom was stopped by security and escorted out of the stadium. [Link]

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:17:51 +0000

I like “This Land is your Land” by Woody Guthrie. It is all embracing, non-religious and egalitarian. It will never be accepted by the tea party status quo that has become the American norm (as Guthrie was an unapologetic socialist) but one can still dream.