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?

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.

:peace:

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 ?? :yes:

I voted for God Bless America but ......
 

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 :confused: :confused: :nono: :nono:
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 :eek:
Isaac

If TBelle will introduce me to some ladies, I'll be sure to "registrar" first chance I get. :D

I voted no
 

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

Pocahontas

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.

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. :mad:
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.:peace:
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:clap:

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!!:o

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.

Right on! :flag:

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.

Oh I made a mistake
 

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 :nono: I do get the goose bumps when I hear the Star Spangle Banner every time and that my friends is a real feeling.
Isaac

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. :D

'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' :peace:

No no no no no Big boy it doesn't work that way. You register to vote FIRST, then we meet the ladies!!!!!:) Let me 'splain it to you this way. Training kids is like trainiing Rosie which is probably like training you...you have to work for your reward!:)

You let me know when you registered and have proof! and I'll hook you up with a lovely young lady. I'll even help with the date strategy if needed!!!!

LOL, just make sure someone brings along a camcorder, to record it all for posterity, and then make sure it gets up on youtube.com, so we can all watch the chaos that ensues :yes:

Somebody make popcorn.

Anime just be careful of red high heels
 

Too much pound cake and those heels will break :laugh:

EXCUSE ME Isaac, I don't have too much pound cake. I just want the pound cake firm, not sponge cake!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Fighting that age monster with a stick
 

You may want to be careful and not over do it with the work out. You hurt yourself and get a bad wheel then it would not be worth it. Stick to walking in the mall it is safe and you can shop while you work out and the best shoe is a large white tennis shoe with a double bow :laugh: :laugh: oh yes I can see you now with your fanny pack on and visor. You go girl forty wont hurt you now will it ;)
Isaac

Alright guys, talk shoes in the shoe thread.

If TBelle can get me a date, I'll be sure to record it, but I'm gonna give the tape the Laughing Man treatment before I do anything else with it.

(For those of you who don't know, the "Laughing Man treatment" means to plaster a logo or graphic over your face on tape, thus concealing your identity. This technique was used multiple times through the anime series, Ghost in the Shell.)

Anime, I didn't start it, Isaac did!:p You should know by now that he has ADD or something (probably something). He even started the shoe thread and can't remember where he should and should not post. Must be Alzheimer's kicking in!

I may have Alzheimers's but you have low hangers
 

If you would just wear some blue with those red shoes and pasty white skin you would be the all American girl :laugh: Back to the thread we should keep the National Anthem as it is and that is the end of the story. We have had a very good history lesson here.
Isaac

Actually, the score is tied right now and I was almost certain that would be the case when I started this.

No. God did NOT bless the USA. God never mentioned the United States of America anywhere, ever; nor did the disciples who authored the canon.

It's time people dislocate this mindset of a religious figure taking sides in issues.

I have sat here and read through you coming on this board today and hijacking it with your assanine opinions. You are absolutely disgusting with your attacks on each and every thread. You have done nothing but get on here and post a negative opinion against eveything you could find to say something negative against. There is only one person you could be and we all know who that is.

If you do not like the fact that this is a board of mostly Christians sharing our thoughts and opinions and respectfully sharing our opinions with others, then go away. Find somewhere else to be so hateful, mean, and rude. You are not wanted here.

It is time for you to crawl back into the hole you came from
 

You can try and maybe a day or two fool some but you BS has a smell that nobody can forget. Play you little game for now TT ;)

God most certainly takes sides on issues:

Issue | God's Side
----- | ----------

Murder | Not for it
Adultery | Not for it
Love thy neighbor | For it
Lying | Not for it
Worship One God | For it
Honoring parents | For it

That about covers most of today's news in the papers and on TV.. All these issues plus accidents and sports would pretty much says it all

Not only are you wrong about who you think that user is..... according to his 6 posts and +27 reputation, it appears you're the only christian who disagrees with his views.

What is this ****ed up notion you christians have that only 1 person on the entire internet disagrees with you?

I reiterate...

What is this ****ed up notion you christians have that only 1 person on the entire internet disagrees with you?

I kind of like our national anthem the way it is. However I find it funny that some people confuse it with the Pledge of Allegiance. Including me. I went to a hockey game today and the anthem was sung. Some people put their hands over their hearts and some did not. When I grew up, we put our hands over our hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Most of the time whenever we are at an event where the National Anthem is being sung it seems that most people have their hands over their hearts. I guess it is a sign of respect and being proud of their country. My pet peeve is men who do not take off their hat when it's being played or sung. You can bet if you are close enough to me and you don't get it off, I'm going to let you know!:nono:

Nah, these days, we do it for both the anthem and the pledge. In fact, in the military, we play the national athem throughout the base at sunrise and sunset while the color guard raises and lowers the flags appropriately. While the anthem is playing, ALL military personnel who are not in-doors are REQUIRED to stop, face the nearest flag, and salute until the anthem is over (if in uniform).

If the base happens to be a naval base with foreign ships in-port, we also play the visiting nation's anthem following our own. The Turkish anthem annoys me. It comes to a stop, you drop the salute (which by now has put a cramp in your arm), and it starts up again.

Who invited you to the party?

Celebrities singing at baseball games would have too much trouble remembering all the words to God Bless the USA. They struggle as it is. Since baseball is our all-American sport I have to vote NO for the change.

Be nice, Isabella. Santabot is a new member and can express opinions freely like the rest of us.

As far as Santabot's comment goes, here's my take. God never mentioned having turkey on Thanksgiving day either, but it doesn't make us any less thankful to Him for it.

Amen sister!!! Sorry Anime but you are going to be the odd man out on this one. Santabot is a clone of someone else on this board, duh! You can't jump in here slamming and bashing on people and expect to get welcomed with open arms and a kiss on the cheek.

:shoethrow: But hey welcome to the board.

Now, now ladies same protocol as before there is no point in talking to someone that is only here on a ego trip :nono: you know what to do ;)

Seriously? I wasn't getting that vibe at all.

Well Roseanne:crazy: sure did give the Star Spangled Banner a thrashing!!! I'm sure people did want to change it to something else after that. I wonder why she was even picked to sing it in the first place?? That sure was a major faux paus in baseball history! Hopefully talented singers will be picked from now on to sing our one and only national anthem! It's still a keeper!:)