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Poll: Should God Bless the USA replace Star Spangled Banner as our anthem?
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Should God Bless the USA replace Star Spangled Banner as our anthem?

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Old 04-06-2007, 11:35 AM   #1
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New National Anthem?

I don't mean to offend anyone who is loyal to Francis Scott Key, but this was a debate that we had one day back when I was in the military.

I worked on the USS John F. Kennedy (a carrier) down in FL. One morning, completely out of the blue, Lee Greenwood showed up to entertain the crew and sign some autographs. For those of you who don't know who he is, he's the guy who sings the all-time patriotically inspiring song, God Bless the USA. I personally shook his hand and told him that I've seen more servicemen stand and salute to his song than the national anthem itself. I still get a chill of pride everytime I hear it even though I've known every word of the song since I was 6. He was a very nice guy.

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When I made it back to the office, my division and I had an interesting debate over whether or not God Bless the USA should be made our national anthem in place of the Star Spangled Banner. There was some support for doing this among several divisions on the USS JFK. In most military ceremonies, we already play this song instead of Star Spangled Banner to honor servicemen. Lee Greenwood personally sang it in New York in honor of those lost in 9/11.

What do you all think? Personally, I think God Bless the USA focuses more on pride and great opportunities that come with living here and less about the wars and the national flag itself. It's far more emotional and the words are stronger and easier to understand. Not to mention God Bless the USA doesn't have that high note that only a few people can hit. What do you all think?

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Old 04-06-2007, 11:46 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by AnimeSpirit
What do you all think?
Uh, let me think for a minute.. uh.... NO.

If you like the song, that's fine, but let's not go jacking with the National Anthem.

I voted no on this poll.. not because I think Francis Scott would give a darn, however.

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Old 04-06-2007, 11:48 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LateNight
Uh, let me think for a minute.. uh.... NO.

If you like the song, that's fine, but let's not go jacking with the National Anthem.

I voted no on this poll.. not because I think Francis Scott would give a darn, however.

That's fine. By all means, vote honestly.
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Old 04-06-2007, 12:00 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by AnimeSpirit
That's fine. By all means, vote honestly.
LOL, o.k. it's early yet, got that morning java buzz going on. Like, why would I lie ??


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Old 04-06-2007, 12:13 PM   #5
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I voted for God Bless America but ......

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Originally Posted by LateNight
LOL, o.k. it's early yet, got that morning java buzz going on. Like, why would I lie ??


I could go either way. I like them both and both have been used along the way to some degree as part of who we are. The only bad vote here would be a vote for I am not sure
So latenight I like your post and Anime you have no vote until you get you ass downtown and registrar to vote then you may have some say so
Isaac
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Old 04-06-2007, 12:16 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by Isaac-Saxxon
Anime you have no vote until you get you ass downtown and registrar to vote then you may have some say so
Isaac
If TBelle will introduce me to some ladies, I'll be sure to "registrar" first chance I get.
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Old 04-06-2007, 12:22 PM   #7
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I voted no

Quote:
Originally Posted by LateNight
Uh, let me think for a minute.. uh.... NO.

If you like the song, that's fine, but let's not go jacking with the National Anthem.

I voted no on this poll.. not because I think Francis Scott would give a darn, however.

I totally agree with you Late Night! It's been our anthem since 1814! For goodness sakes why change it now??

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Old 04-06-2007, 12:39 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pocahontas
I totally agree with you Late Night! It's been our anthem since 1814! For goodness sakes why change it now??
Actually, it was written as a poem by Francis Scott Key in 1814 but didn't become our anthem until March 3, 1931. Women have had the right to vote longer than we've had this song as our anthem. We have elderly people still alive today what were kids when Star Spangled Banner was made the anthem.

I just feel that the national anthem should be patriotically inspiring. I like God Bless the USA because it's just a more powerful song and addresses not just wars and flags, but the true spirit of the nation. Watch the video if you haven't seen it yet. I'm sure Star Spangled Banner was inspiring in its day, because Francis Key tailored its message to the age he lived in. Reversely, I feel this new age we live in needs a different message.
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Old 04-06-2007, 12:46 PM   #9
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Remember

Don't Forget that FSKey experienced the night of this battle. He lived through the "fire" as it would be. It was an intense thing for our new country to be fighting against the British. They lost loyalists who were their friends and this flag we still honor today as a symbol of American pride was what he looked for in the midst of the battle to offer hope.
I realize the emotion of the song "Proud to be an American" is moving. I happen to appreciate the lyrics. Still, just because a song may seem to be out dated doesn't mean it should be discarded.
That's like discarding the Constitution, the Ten Commandments or the Pledge of Allegiance.
OK so maybe it seems like a long stretch, but I've found in life that once you allow one thing to slide a snowball effect is imminent.So I say leave as is.
Still, " I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free
and I won't forget the man/men who died and gave that right to me
so I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today."
Let's hear it for the land of the free and the home of the brave
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Old 04-06-2007, 12:47 PM   #10
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Oops!

[quote=AnimeSpirit]Actually, it was written as a poem by Francis Scott Key in 1814 but didn't become our anthem until March 3, 1931. Women have had the right to vote longer than we've had this song as our anthem.

I just feel that the national anthem should be patriotically inspiring. I like God Bless the USA because it's just a more powerful song and addresses not just wars and flags, but the true spirit of the nation. Watch the video if you haven't seen it yet. I'm sure Star Spangled Banner was inspiring in its day, because Francis Key tailored its message to the age he lived in. Reversely, I feel this new age we live in needs a different message.[/QUOTE

OOPS! MY bad, Anime! You are so right about that! I'll have to do better research next time! I still love our National Anthem though. I get chills to this day when it's sung/played at an event! It's definitely a keeper!!
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Old 04-06-2007, 01:01 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by refugen3
Still, just because a song may seem to be out dated doesn't mean it should be discarded. That's like discarding the Constitution, the Ten Commandments or the Pledge of Allegiance.
I'm not saying discard SSB. I'm just saying that GBUSA is a song worthy of the title of anthem as well and we should consider giving it a turn as our message to the world. SSB will always be remembered because it has been our anthem since the early 1900s. I'm not saying discard it. Hope is a great message, but so are pride, freedom, and rememberence.

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Originally Posted by refugen3
Still, " I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free
and I won't forget the man/men who died and gave that right to me
so I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today."
Let's hear it for the land of the free and the home of the brave
Right on!
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Old 04-06-2007, 01:02 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnimeSpirit
Actually, it was written as a poem by Francis Scott Key in 1814 but didn't become our anthem until March 3, 1931. Women have had the right to vote longer than we've had this song as our anthem. We have elderly people still alive today what were kids when Star Spangled Banner was made the anthem.

I just feel that the national anthem should be patriotically inspiring. I like God Bless the USA because it's just a more powerful song and addresses not just wars and flags, but the true spirit of the nation. Watch the video if you haven't seen it yet. I'm sure Star Spangled Banner was inspiring in its day, because Francis Key tailored its message to the age he lived in. Reversely, I feel this new age we live in needs a different message.
O.k. So I watched the video. You said be honest... , it was more than I could stand. Please don't take this the wrong way. So the guy loves his country and wrote a song about it. And I'm happy for him. But that song is just too much in the vain, of what is to me what makes up the worst part of country music. Maybe if Hank Williams Sr. had sung it, in a more "americana" genre, I could go for it. But for me, this new song sounds like Canned Country Music to me. I'm sure I'll get flamed for it, but that's just how I feel.

Give me some of that old country music, Americana, alt country, blues, rock, soul, gospel, R&B.

Quote:
On September 3, 1814, Key and John S. Skinner, an American prisoner-exchange agent, set sail from Baltimore aboard the sloop HMS Minden flying a flag of truce on a mission approved by U.S. President James Madison. Their objective was to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes, the elderly and popular town physician of Upper Marlboro, a friend of Key’s who had been captured in his home. He was being accused of aiding in the arrest of British soldiers. Key and Skinner boarded the British flagship, HMS Tonnant, on 7 September and spoke with Major General Robert Ross and Admiral Alexander Cochrane over dinner, while they discussed war plans. At first, Ross and Cochrane refused to release Beanes, but relented after Key and Skinner revealed to them letters written by wounded British prisoners praising Beanes and other Americans for their kind treatment.
Because Key and Michle Skinner had heard details of the plans for the attack on Baltimore, they were held captive until after the battle, first aboard HMS Surprise, and later back on Minden, after which certain British gunboats attempted to slip past the fort and effect a landing in a cove to the west of it, but they were turned away by gunners at nearby Fort Covington, the city's last line of defense. During the rainy night, Key had witnessed the bombardment and observed that the fort’s smaller "storm flag" continued to fly, but once the shelling had stopped, he would not know how the battle had turned out until dawn. By then, the storm flag had been lowered, and the larger flag had been raised.

15-star, 15-stripe "Star-Spangled Banner" flag



Francis Scott Key's original manuscript copy of his Star-Spangled Banner poem. It is now on display at the Maryland Historical Society.


Key was inspired by the American victory and the sight of the large American flag flying triumphantly above the fort. This flag, with fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, came to be known as the Star Spangled Banner Flag and is today on display in the National Museum of American History, a treasure of the Smithsonian Institution. It was restored in 1914 by Amelia Fowler, and again in 1998 as part of an ongoing conservation program.
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Old 04-06-2007, 01:15 PM   #13
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Oh I made a mistake

Quote:
Originally Posted by LateNight
O.k. So I watched the video. You said be honest... , it was more than I could stand. Please don't take this the wrong way. So the guy loves his country and wrote a song about it. And I'm happy for him. But that song is just too much in the vain, of what is to me what makes up the worst part of country music. Maybe if Hank Williams Sr. had sung it, in a more "americana" genre, I could go for it. But for me, this new song sounds like Canned Country Music to me. I'm sure I'll get flamed for it, but that's just how I feel.

Give me some of that old country music, Americana, alt country, blues, rock, soul, gospel, R&B.
I thought the other song was God Bless America, land that I love. Now that is a great song. I think I will change my vote because I am registered and vote for the Star Spangle Banner too. I love some old bluegrass and country music but I am with LN on the canned country patriots I do get the goose bumps when I hear the Star Spangle Banner every time and that my friends is a real feeling.
Isaac
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Old 04-06-2007, 01:19 PM   #14
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right on Late Night

That's what I'm talking about.
We as Americans tend to forget the circumstances and we are quick to move on and follow our emotions.
Although I seem to like the PtobeAm. song more than yourself, I still don't think it would fly as our national anthem.
OK that's all I'll leave this subject alone now.
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Old 04-06-2007, 01:25 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaac-Saxxon
I thought the other song was God Bless America, land that I love. Now that is a great song. I think I will change my vote because I am registered and vote for the Star Spangle Banner too. I love some old bluegrass and country music but I am with LN on the canned country patriots I do get the goose bumps when I hear the Star Spangle Banner every time and that my friends is a real feeling.
Isaac
'God Bless America' was written by Irving Berlin around 1920, Woodie Guthrie wrote 'This Land is Your Land" in response. Guthrie considered that song unrealistic and was tired of hearing Kate Smith sing it on the radio, so he wrote a different song, originally called "God Blessed America for Me".

Now we know the 'rest of the story'
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