The Star-Spanglish Banner(National Anthem in Spanish)

New York Daily News ^ | April 30th, 2006 | staff

[kellynla]

The entertainers who collaborated on a Spanish version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" are doing no favors for the cause of immigration reform. Their recording - titled, with all the subtlety of a thumb in the eye, "Our Anthem" - reinforces the damaging stereotype that America's newcomers see this not as a nation indivisible, but as two societies separated by language and culture. The congressional nativists and all who are determined to deny a path to legitimacy for the country's 11 million illegal immigrants are going to have a field day with this ill-timed expression of ethnic pride. Already it has been dubbed "The Illegal Alien Anthem" by those who believe that there's a them and there's an us and that them must go.

President Bush got it right Friday when he said: "I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English, and I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English." This is no slight to any proud heritage; it's the American identity and the way of assimilation.

The country's immigrant leaders would do well to pay heed as the Senate begins again to wrestle with legislation that may or may not open the door to citizenship for illegal immigrants and may or may not establish a guest-worker program for foreigners who come for jobs unwanted by Americans. This is not the time to be waving Mexican flags or asking, "Oh say can you see a la luz de la aurora?"

[AmericaOne]

Elyse,
Do you have a problem with my withholding donations from the RNC post (#36)??? Or is this post directed at "GOP Poet"??? If so, then please disregard this post.

Jim Rob,
If you feel that my post #36 somehow violates FR's mission statement or is somehow harming the Conservative Movement, then please let me know and I will stop posting these comments.

I feel that if this immigration amnesty sell out passes, that will be the back breaker or the absolute last straw for conservatives and I am doing everything I can think of to convince the RNC (by cutting off their funding) to pressure Bush and the rest to stop pushing this crap. As you know, we are on thin ice for November as it is and if Bush and the rest get their way on this amnesty legistlation, then you can kiss all you have worked for in the way of trying to advance conservative ideas goodbye. I can't see anything good for conservatives, republicans (or average Americans in general) if any amnesty bill passes.

Below is the link to the post so you can see it for yourself:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1624109/posts#36

[Question_Assumptions]

Their recording - titled, with all the subtlety of a thumb in the eye, "Our Anthem" - reinforces the damaging stereotype that America's newcomers see this not as a nation indivisible, but as two societies separated by language and culture.

The left is always more interested in image than substance. "Damaging stereotype"? How about the problem is that they really do see this as two societies separated by language and culture?

[Elyse]

Do you have a problem with my withholding donations from the RNC post (#36)???

I think you are focusing entirely on one issue and 'punishing' the RNC is not the way to resolve that. I could care less if you individually do not donate to the RNC, I just disagree that that is the right way to handle the problem we have right now.

[GOP Poet]

Every Republican is not the enemy.

Of course they're not. I can't hate myself or my husband :). I like your idea of voting for other Republican candidates that are touch on border patrol. I am not sure though that: one there will be a viable candidate for the presidency and two that they will put up any other tough border control candidates to replace the spineless one's we already have. But I will support only candidates that are tough on border patrol and that is anti infiltration (my new word for illegal immigrants and what they are doing to our country.)

I also really love offering up the spanish money with Bush's face on it that AmericanOne posted after your post to me. That is great!

I am just livid over this issue and feel as though my vote as a Republican no longer counts. I really feel those illegals have more influence on my own party right now and that shows with the policies that are and are not being put forth.

[GOP Poet]

Yes! Darn good idea and I love the money-perfect.

[GOP Poet]

I think Jim is right on the money and the posts says it all perfectly. I also want to make sure, though, that I hold the party's butt to the fire on the border issue while we maintain power and hopefully increase it.

It is true it will take awhile, if not decades to get back power. I think we do need to all remember the lessons from when we lost the presidency before and find a way to stay together as a party through this very tough and divisive issue. I think that is a very positive way to go about it and I hope it works.

[o_zarkman44]

Tyson and Cargill are both big employers of hispanic immigrants and illegals. Tyson especially has been cited for employing illegals. The fines are......pardon my expression...chicken feed...... compared to the profits they derive from the under the table employment.

So if our government won't punish them appropriately, then perhaps consumers should just stop purchasing their products. They have to be hit in the financial statement before they get the message.

[stevem99]

If the President doesn't think the National Anthem should be sung in Spanish why did Jon Secada do just that at Bush's first innaguration ceremony, not to mention a number of campaign stops.