Do you think we need a new national anthem?

1. 89

   ThelmaCposted 12 years ago

   Do you think we need a new national anthem?
   
   There is a movement to replace our national anthem with a new one.  A poll last week indicated that many Americans think that Bruce Springsteen would be the best choice to compose a new national anthem.  Do we need a new one?

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2. 79

   Wayne Brownposted 12 years ago

   The first question that comes to my mind is "what is wrong with the one we have?"  Maybe too many so-called Americans care little for our rememberance of the war that was fought and the bleed that was shed to free this country to its own independence from tyranny.  Perhaps a new song praising the utopian benefits of socialism is in order.  Obviously, the old one is flawed in that it does not mention same-sex marriage or the evils of speaking God's name in public. For all our education dollars spent, we have to this? WB

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      duffsmomposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Can you hear me cheering!  Well said.

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      lone77starposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes! Well said!

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      ThelmaCposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Halleujah!

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3. 62

   Dennis AuBuchonposted 12 years ago

   This is a great question but one which should not have to be asked.  Our national anthem we presently have was first used by the Navy in 1889 but it was not officially recognized by Congress until March 1931.  Regardless of the mood of individual segments or organizations it should not be changed.
   
   Our national anthem honors those who have fought in the past to protect the freedoms we have and is also a recognition of the principles upon which this country was found.  Changing the national anthem would be like changing the principles upon which this country is based.  Movements to change the anthems simply for the reason some individuals think it should be revised is not reason enough to revise it.

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4. 0

   Lynn S. Murphyposted 12 years ago

   Although I adore Bruce and his talent, I have to agree with Wayne. There is nothing wrong with the one we have - its beautiful and says it all.

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5. 69

   Bretsukiposted 12 years ago

   The Star Spangled Banner has served pretty well for over 80 years. It is recognized by many people all over the world as symbolic of US values.
   
   I don't feel we need to change.
   
   What may be nice could be a new celebratory song, we haven't had one of those for several decades. Something extolling pride in the US, like America the Beautiful or My Country Tis of Thee.
   
   A good rousing march would fit, is there a modern Sousa out there? Or a Cohan with "Over There"?

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6. 74

   Cobrafanposted 12 years ago

   There's no need for a new national anthem. Our current one is about how this country came to be and I can't think of anything better.

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   pstraubie48posted 12 years ago

   No new Anthem. Our Star Spangled Banner is part of our history. Changing it will be rewriting part of that hstory. Coming up with other patritoic songs is always a good idea. The more of them we have the better.
   We can sing those right along with our Anthem.
   One reason I think some find it difficult to sing is that we do not sing it enough. It should be played often on the radio and terlevision. When I was a young girl, the television channels would sign off at about midnight. When it did, the National Anthem was played.
   That is not a good time to play it though. It should be played maybe midday when the midday news was on and in the evening when the evening news is on. We need a resurgence in pride for our country. This could be one way to get the ball rolling.

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8. 0

   Old Empresarioposted 12 years ago

   I'm up in the air on this one. On one hand, our national anthem is a poem about the our defense of Fort McHenry against a British naval bombardment in 1814 that has been set to the tune of a British pub song. Almost no American has heard of Fort McHenry, the Battle of Baltimore, or even the War of 1812 for that matter. The song is meaningless to our nation at best and gets us into a spirit of war at worst. On the other hand, the national anthems of many other nations are equally as meaningless as they often describe battle scenes in gruesome detail. Better to leave well enough alone I suppose.

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      KK Trainorposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I almost can't believe anyone would say that our national anthem was meaningless to them. And I have certainly never heard it sund to the drumbeat of war. How ridiculous.

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9. 73

   pagesvoiceposted 12 years ago

   No, we do not need a new National Anthem. If more people showed their patriotism then they would sing the song with pride and a patriotic duty. When the National Anthem is being sung or played it is important to either salute or put your hand on your heart and stand up. Respect is earned, not given away and our country has most definitely earned our respect.

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   1. 73

      pagesvoiceposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Gee, I wonder what I said so wrong to get a vote down? Is there someone out there that doesn't believe in our National Anthem and standing up when it is played? Do they remove their hat or just sit there? Just curious.

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      breathe2travelposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Pagesvoice - there are hubbers who vote by emotion as if HP q&a is a middle school slam book rather than a place for educational debate and discourse.

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      ThelmaCposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      pagesvoice it looks like someone went through and voted all of us down.  Don't take it personally.  It may have even been someone that's not from the US so they may not realize how seriously we take our anthem.

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      pagesvoiceposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well, well, well...isn't that interesting?

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      KK Trainorposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      There are people out there who will down vote any answer that sounds even mildly patriotic, as if to prove that patriots are idiots and their answers must be stupid.

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      pagesvoiceposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      To ThelmaC, Breathe2travel and KK Trainor...Thank you for the responses. I'm tired of people hiding behind anonymity when they vote things down without a reason. I thought if I called their action out they would be patriotic enough to say why?

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10. 61

    mlcoreyposted 12 years ago

    Honestly no we do not need a new national anthem plain and simple. Congress is actually committing treason because now a days they no longer say it unless it is at a baseball, football, and possible basketball games. They don't even say the pledge of allegiance in schools anymore. On top of we can't say Marry Christmas now it has to be happy holidays it's not right. What we need to do is go back to the constitution and get familiar with it again and stop trying to change what has worked for over a hundred years.

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       Cobrafanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I completely agree mlcorey. Our national anthem should be played at all sporting events, our pledge of allegiance should be recited in all schools at least once a week, and our Constitution should be upheld by all who live under it.

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11. 89

    ThelmaCposted 12 years ago

    Thanks to all of you for taking the time to answer this question and I hope we get responses from many more of you.  Looks like most people agree with me that we need to keep our current national anthem!

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12. 53

    Sunsetdreamsposted 12 years ago

    Although I think  our Star Spangled Banner is difficult to sing (I lip sync those high notes), I really believe in hanging on to those threads that have been been woven into our American fabric. I hope it doesn't change.

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    dghbrhposted 12 years ago

    no i do not think so...that way the very nature of the national anthem will be lost. the need is the proper understanding of the present one.

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    Ugly Honestposted 12 years ago

    Please ... Really .... Who better than the fantastically wealthy New World American  Bruce Springsteen ... Can't we leave anything alone .... Is this just one more thing that has to be "Fundamentally Transformed" ...... Why don't we just change our current Anthem to "Imagine" by John Lennon  Why don't we just surrender now. Tell the rest of the world .. we give up ... Come in and take whatever you want. Why not just leave the current anthem in place. It really means nothing to  most Americans. We've let the Constitution alone and that's not even recognized by our own president.  Let's just leave the current anthem in place so we can continue to live the illusion that everything's O.K. and we're not on the brink of irreversible self-destruction.   Whew .....

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15. 73

    nmdondersposted 12 years ago

    I don't think we need a new one, I love it!  I like the Canadian one too.

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       ThelmaCposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I hadn't thought about the Canadian one.  I like it too!

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16. 0

    topaz blueposted 12 years ago

    Hello
    Our unofficial National Anthem is 'Flow of Scotland' written by the Corrie's and most Scottish people I know view this as our national anthem. Although I don't think we need one and sometimes it could be seen as a form of division when planet earth is a, whole, I do find a tear in my eye whenever I hear ' Flower of Scotland'.

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17. 74

    breathe2travelposted 12 years ago

    Not only do we need to keep The Star Spangled Banner as our anthem, we need to hear it sung in its entirety more often.  Below is a link with the second verse: http://www.godvine.com/Marine-Stuns-a-C … -1721.html

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       pagesvoiceposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I agree with you and I would add that "artists" should not attempt to make this song "their own." It was written a certain way and that is part of our heritage and patriotism...leave it alone.

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18. 71

    lone77starposted 12 years ago

    I think there are some forces within or above our government who like to stir the pot of discontent.
    
    They are trying to dilute the Constitution and Bill of Rights. This is merely another way to make the loss of liberty more palatable. If he were alive today, I think Hitler would be envious how smooth the creep of tyranny has been.
    
    The 9/11 lie is alive and well. The Bush conspiracy theory is held as fact and both Bush and Obama caution us not to stray into dangerous territory -- shining a light where it should not be shone. There are too many secrets that, if revealed, would destroy their hold on their prized cash cow, America.
    
    No, we need to keep our current anthem. We need to realize how it has been and continues to be assaulted by the betrayal of presidential oaths of office. They no longer protect the Constitution, but treat it as just a "G**-damned piece of paper."
    
    Some presidents!
    
    Some treason!
    
    Five years ago, I moved from the United States. I still love my country. But the distance gave me a chance to overcome the addiction to the Corporate Party media kool-aid. Only a year ago did I finally wake up from the Bush lie about 9/11. That's when science kicked in and my logic and mathematics paid off. It's all about the balance of energy. The WTC buildings started with only so much PE (potential energy), but so much more KE was done. All 3 buildings fell as if the cold steel beams did not exist. And that's impossible without controlled demolition. And Al Qaeda did not have months of unfettered access, not when CIA was one of the tenants and security was run by 2 Bush family members.
    
    The Rothschild tyranny we were fighting in 1812 is the same tyranny to which our country is now dying.
    
    No. Keep Francis Scott Key's poem. Keep the memory of the dream alive.

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