U.S. fencing team sings anthem to themselves after winning gold medal

Canada.com ^ | Sunday, August 03, 2003 | JANIE MCCAULEY, Canadian Press

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) - There's a lot of improvising going on at the Pan American Games. Just ask the United States fencing team.

The Americans won gold in women's sabre and men's foil Saturday night, but when officials were ready to present the medals they realized there was a hitch: The venue couldn't play the U.S. national anthem.

No problem.

U.S. fencing captain Jeff Bukantz jumped into action. He called the American athletes, support staff, parents and fans from the stands to the floor to sing while the flags were raised for Sada Jacobson (women's sabre) and Dan Kellner. Bukantz informed the delegation they weren't going to make this into an international incident.

A Pan Ams volunteer said the CD with the Star Spangled Banner had been burned and the equipment at the venue could not read the CD.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Good for Bukantz!

[ozaukeemom]

I am so pleased with this story! In this day and age, it is good to know there are people who actually know the words to our anthem and are proud to sing it. Great work!

[wideawake]

And these banana republics wonder why we don't take them seriously.

[Between the Lines]

A Pan Ams volunteer said the CD with the Star Spangled Banner had been burned and the equipment at the venue could not read the CD.

File sharing is new to the Dominican Republic I guess.

[Chad Fairbanks]

This seems to be happening every week or so lately... I'm beginning to not buy the excuses

[eyespysomething]

Wonderful. I bet it was much better sung by the team and family and fans, than any CD.

[sheltonmac]

A Pan Ams volunteer said the CD with the Star Spangled Banner had been burned...

We need a constitutional amendment that makes it illegal to burn the national anthem.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I'm with you!

[Cultural Jihad]

Something similar happened a couple of weeks ago at the world swimming championship in Barcelona:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/950315/posts

[CatoRenasci]

Fencing bump! This is not a sport filled with America-hating liberals.

[laotzu]

God bless the USA, and our fencing team.

[Centurion2000]

Fencing bump! This is not a sport filled with America-hating liberals.

The idea of a liberal with a weapon in their hand is anathema to their philosophy. Hoplophobes abound on the left.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I'm really tired of hearing canned national anthem singing anyway and "solos" performing. The concept is that crowds should ALWAYS sing the SSB, not hang around hoping for someone else to do the job ;-).

[Semper Paratus]

Bet they could do the Cuban National Anthem from memory.

[TexanToTheCore]

From a former fencer:

Boy, are you right.

[longtermmemmory]

Just the usual passive agressive anti-americansm. The Carnival Hotel in Athens has a line of international flags outside its front marque. Odly it was only the American flag that was faded and hanging by bottom of its two loops. The top loop having been torn or just not connected. It was hanging like a dirty red, white and blue dish rag blowing in the wind. The other flags were new, clean and properly hung. We took our US dollars elsewhere.

The CD was not burned, some small idiot was being an *ssh*le and the pan am games managment was allowing it.

[CatoRenasci]

You know, I think the single best antidote to the growth of liberalism would be to introduce every schoolchild to firearms, beginning in kindergarten under close supervision. They should probably not fire long arms before they are 8 or pistols before 12 or so, but they should handle them, strip them, clean them and understand how they work. Historic weapons which have played a role in our history could be used: first replica matchlocks and flintlocks, then replica percussion arms could be handled, disassembled and worked with safety. Safety instruction can be natural. Edged weapons, and fencing should be introduced by the time kids are 10 or so. Tell kids the story of the Revolution and the War for Southern Independence this way.

As the kids get older, they can be instructed in the care and use of modern cartridge firearms. Fencing as a sport and intellectual exercise can be developed.

I would be that you would not find many kids who would emerged from such an education (even if it were just a lesson a week) with a fear of firearms or personal edged weapons, or who not be jealous of the defense of our liberties.

[longtermmemmory]

The fact that the minutemen have been eliminated from public school education is confirmation by negative of your theory. Indiviual merit is not a leftist goal. It is no different with leftist politicials dancing with the differences in collective vs individual property rights.

[a history buff]

One year when the Pan-American games were held in Cuba, the joke amongst the populace was that "pan americano" (American bread) for the many would be vastly preferable to the "pan-americanos" for the few [athletes.]