Note that Chapter 3 of Title 36 of the United States Code also recognizes:
§ 302. National motto
§ 303. National floral emblem
§ 304. National march
§ 305. National tree
The National Anthem statute now on the books, known as 36 U.S. Code § 301, acknowledges that the Star-Spangled Banner is the official national anthem; and that military members should salute as it plays or is performed, while “all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.” In all cases, the attention given to the anthem should be the same, regardless of the presence of the flag at the location.
Note also that Under Title 36, Chapter 1: Patriotic and National Observances, it lists all sorts of “national observances including:
• § 101. American Heart Month
• § 102. Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
• § 103. Cancer Control Month
• § 104. Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day
• § 105. Child Health Day
• § 106. Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
• § 107. Columbus Day
• § 108. Constitution Week
• § 109. Father's Day
• § 110. Flag Day
• § 111. Gold Star Mother's Day
• § 112. Honor America Days
• § 113. Law Day, U.S.A.
• § 114. Leif Erikson Day
• § 115. Loyalty Day
• § 116. Memorial Day
• § 117. Mother's Day
• § 118. National Aviation Day
• § 119. National Day of Prayer
• § 120. National Defense Transportation Day
• § 121. National Disability Employment Awareness Month
• § 122. National Flag Week
• § 123. National Forest Products Week
• § 124. National Freedom Day
• § 125. National Grandparents Day • § 126. National Hispanic Heritage Month
• § 127. National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day
• § 128. National Maritime Day
• § 129. National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
• § 130. National Poison Prevention Week
• § 131. National Safe Boating Week
• § 132. National School Lunch Week
• § 133. National Transportation Week
• § 134. Pan American Aviation Day
• § 135. Parents' Day
• § 136. Peace Officers Memorial Day
• § 137. Police Week
• § 138. Save Your Vision Week
• § 139. Steelmark Month
• § 140. Stephen Foster Memorial Day
• § 141. Thomas Jefferson's birthday
• § 142. White Cane Safety Day
• § 143. Wright Brothers Day
• § 144. Patriot Day
• § 145. Veterans Day
• § 189. National POW/MIA Recognition Day
I sure hope you are properly recognizing and celebrating “Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day” and “National School Lunch Week”.
Don’t misunderstand me. I think that the NFL players “taking the knee” during the playing of our National Anthem is misguided (out of ignorance – willful or not) and disrespectful. And having grown up in Maryland and having spent a good chunk of my 57 years in Baltimore, I love the Star Spangled Banner and the history behind it. I would never think of taking a knee or showing disrespect, even as a political protest. For example, if H. Clinton had won and became POTUS, I wouldn’t stop standing for The Anthem or putting my hand over my heart for the Pledge of Allegiance (although I have recently come to find that I do have some issues with The Pledge of Allegiance’s socialist and statist history, but that’s another topic).
However, if the day ever comes when I could be imprisoned for not standing for the Anthem or for not saying the Pledge of Allegiance, that is perhaps the day I sit it out or take a knee. I as a free born citizen should never be forced by the government to pledge allegiance to the State.