Free Republic

a golden oldie of Usain Bolt from 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 20, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) - The nation's foremost homosexual and transgender political group has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, saying she has made banning reparative therapy and allowing transgender military service "a pillar" of her presidential campaign. “All the progress we have made as a nation on LGBT equality -- and all the progress we have yet to make -- is at stake in November," said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. The HRC said that Clinton has made homosexual and transgender political advocacy "a pillar of her campaign and recently unveiled the most robust and ambitious LGBT...

~ Star Spangled Banner ~Written by Francis Scott Key (1814) Canteen Mission Statement Showing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies militaryand the family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. The War of 1812 had been a particularly nasty conflict with the British. They had burned down the Capitol and the White House in Washington, and were set on taking the port of Baltimore, which was protected in part by Fort McHenry, just to the south. On September 7th, 1814, during the build-up to the attack on Baltimore, two Americans, Colonel John Skinner...

What could be more patriotic on the Fourth of July than playing the Star-Spangled Banner with a Ruger 10/22? Chris Cheng demonstrates:

Dion Waiters informs Northeast Ohio Media Group that he is a Muslim and plans to skip national anthems • Update: Dion Waiters clarifies remarks about his pregame ritual, will be there for anthems DENVER, Colo. – Prior to the Cavaliers getting set to take on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, one of their players was missing from the pregame opening events. Dion Waiters was nowhere to be found when the national anthem was being sung. He was absent when the starting lineups were introduced. It was the first game of the season that he was coming off the bench. He...

Two hundred years ago today, it was the unlikely convergence of a physician and a lawyer that produced the most recited poem in American history. Its inspiration occurred just a few miles from Fort McHenry, located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, the site of one of our nation’s most important military conflicts. [SNIP] Key, not surprisingly gloats over the failure of the British in the third stanza which was mostly dropped after they became our allies in the 20th century. But the poem/song’s most powerful stanza is its last.  In the fourth stanza Key proclaims the primary reason for the republic’s...

~snip~ Key was on a British ship, part of a U.S. delegation to negotiate a prisoner release. He was kept on board to prevent the American forces from being tipped off about the forthcoming bombing by the British. He was allowed to return to Baltimore on Sept. 14 and was so inspired by the U.S. pluckiness that he wrote a poem, "Defence of Fort M'Henry," which he published on Sept. 20, 1814. ~snip~ Neither Key's early hymn nor the Barbary War is widely taught in American schools anymore (except for the reference in the Marines’ Hymn: “To the shores of...

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

A short documentary from Rockbridge Academy on the author of America's "Star Spangled Banner". Produced by ADG Creative. Francis Scott KEY American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner" Born: on August 01, 1779 in Carroll County, Maryland, USA Died: on January 11, 1843 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA Francis Scott Key was born to Ann Phoebe Penn Dagworthy (Charlton) and Captain John Ross Key at the family plantation Terra Rubra in what was Frederick County and is now Carroll County, Maryland. His father John Ross Key was...

While the number of stars in the United States flag has changed 27 times through history, from the placing of 13 stars in the original "Betsy Ross" flag to today's 50-star variant (in place for almost 54 years, the longest of all American flags), the number of stripes has only changed twice. The number was increased from 13 to 15 stripes in 1795 (along with 15 stars) upon the admission of Vermont and Kentucky to the Union. Following the admission of five more states, the number of stripes was reduced back to 13 in 1820 to honor the original 13...

On this day, March 3, 1931, the Star-Spangled Banner was officially adopted as the national anthem of the United States, more than 100 years after it was first written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812. Today, we raise the 15-star flag used in the Battle of Fort McHenry which was the inspiration for Key's poem and eventual anthem. We also honor Florida, which became the 27th state in the Union in 1845, after being purchased from Spain in 1819.

The story of how our national anthem came to be. This is a story every American should hear. It's a little lengthy, but I'm sure it'll be worth your time

On this date in 1794, President George Washington signed a measure making the first changes to the American flag, by ordering the stars and stripes to be increased by two each, to symbolize the admissions of Vermont and Kentucky to the Union. The 15-star, 15-stripe flag would remain the standard for the United States for 23 years, until the admission of five more states would bring the next changes to the flag, reverting the number of stripes to a permanent 13 but increasing the stars for each state admitted thereafter.

A link sent to me by a family member. A unique rendition of the national anthem and worth the listen, IMO.

On December 24, 1814, the Treaty Of Ghent was signed in the Netherlands by delegates from the United States and Great Britain, beginning the process of ending the War of 1812. While signalling the end of the war, the treaty still had to be ratified by Congress and Parliament (which would come in February 1815), and several battles fought before peace was established, including the Battle of New Orleans, which would take place on January 8, 1815.

Professor Kevin Blackistone at U Maryland is an ESPN panelist who thinks the Star-Spangled Banner is a "war anthem" and other insults. Video of this jerk follows: Blackistone vid

The band is hoping to get one million people to view its rock version of the “Star Spangled Banner” by November 6th (election day). Also, group members are encouraging fans to download the music file and to add it to their music collections and mp3 players.

Let's show Press and Tosh - and everyone else - that we still believe in this country and our National Anthem. Take the Challenge: Help Madison Rising reach 1 million views & downloads by Election Day (November 6th).

Just sing the song. This is an open letter to anybody who has the honor of publicly performing the Star Spangled Banner. Just sing the song. Don’t disrespect it, or your country, by turning a moment to honor the United States into an opportunity for you to show off. Because when you sing this song, it’s not about you, it’s about the song. Don’t ever forget that. And don’t go along with the current trend of turning the National Anthem into a glitzy star vehicle for so-called artists trying to get publicity and sell records. Because it’s become embarrassing. You...

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,...