Politico Lead Story: 'Is It Time to Ditch the Star-Spangled Banner?'

NewsBusters.org ^ | September 13, 2014 | Tom Blumer

[Kaslin]

There is apparently no more important story or issue right now at the Politico than Ted Widmer's question about our national anthem: "Is It Time to Ditch the Star-Spangled Banner?" It is currently the lead item at the web site, complete with a huge picture of the American flag. The "beheading by ISIL of a British aid worker" and Wisconsin's court-granted ability to implement voter-ID in the fall elections are both apparently less important. - See more at: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2014/09/13/politico-lead-story-it-time-ditch-star-spangled-banner#sthash.B4XsZOqY.dpuf

[dfwgator]

"I'M TRYING TO LISTEN TO THE #$@#@$@ SONG!"

[onedoug]

That’s a good one.

[BenLurkin]

And in case anyone has forgotten the egregious disrespect of her performance: http://www.johnspeedie.com/healy/redglare.wav

[Busko]

Nice to know that the haters are active.

[OpusatFR]

More distraction! The White House needs to get attention off the BIG issues!

Don’t fall for it.

[sourcery]

The US is no longer the same country for which that flag was designed. The name should change also, for the same reason. I don't think the Founders would want to be associated with the illegitimate, anti-Constitutional government that now operates falsely and dishonestly as "The United States."

[Toespi]

Wonderful goose bumps, but sadly confirms a devastating loss and waste of talent.

[centurion316]

Deutschland Uber Alles makes you want to get up, grab your gun and march to the frontier.

Rule Britannia swears that Britons never, never will be slaves (except as directed by Sharia Law)

If you like your national anthem, you can keep it.

[GeronL]

Seriously Politico?

Who takes that site seriously any more?

[bmwcyle]

It is time to exile all liberals.

[rockinqsranch]

“Politico Lead Story: ‘Is It Time to Ditch the Star-Spangled Banner?”

It’s time to sing it.

[McGruff]

I’m surprised Obama hasn’t banned for being insensitive to Muslims.

[GeronL]

This land was your land
Now it is my land
I stole it from you
by executive order
This land was not made for you, just me

[jazusamo]

Amen

[tumblindice]

[mrsmel]

I agree. I can’t stand to listen to most contemporary singers, ever since Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston & Co started all that superfluous scale-running and scooping in everything they sang. Now everyone does it, no one even knows how to just sing a song anymore, with style and ease.

[EveningStar]

I did a search on Ted Widmer and got this Wikipedia article. He was a Clinton speech writer, so it might be the same guy.

[elcid1970]

The tune for “Deutschland uber Alles” was originally composed by Joseph Haydn. John Newton, the author of “Amazing Grace”, wrote another hymn, “Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken” & set it to Haydn’s melody.

Anyway, “The Star Spangled Banner” needs to be publically sung as it was originally written, not with all those extra notes which call attention to the showboat singing it, not to the nation.

I know, that’s racist.

[PAR35]

I could go along with ditching the first 3 stanzas and just going with the last:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!