ALL Stand for the National Anthem

Should those of us who are watching sports events on television stand along with the people in the stadium and possibly join in the singing when someone performs our national anthem?

How many of us make a quick trip to the kitchen when the tv sports event announcer asks everyone to stand for the national anthem?   How many of us have come to think of the performing of the "Star Spangled Banner" as just a part of the show for us to watch, but not to participate in?

I'm wondering if those of us who treat the playing of the national anthem as just part of the show are really much  different from the  NFL kneelers.   The national anthem played before the start of a sports event isn't just the national anthem of the people in the stadium. It's our national anthem as well.

  Many of us already participate in some television programs. Many of us cheer along with the people in the stands when a player on our team makes an outstanding offensive or defensive  play.  We may sing along when someone sings one of our favorite songs.

Although the national anthem is called "The Star Spangle Banner" it isn't about the flag itself, but what the appearance of the flag flying over Ft. McHenry symbolized. When  Francis Scott Key saw the flag that morning he knew the men in Ft. McHenry had refused to be intimidated by the British bombardment of the fort.

An audience may give an entertainer a standing ovation for an outstanding performance.  Standing for the national anthem is the equivalent of a standing ovation for those who died defending Fr McHenry and in other battles including the recent deaths in Niger.   Performing music  is a greater tribute than clapping hands.

We should all join in giving a tribute to our fallen heroes when someone performs our national anthem.  

Why We Stand for the National Anthem

Although the "National Anthem" is called "The Star Spangled Banner", we are not standing to  honor and respect the flag itself.    We are standing with those who have fought to keep that banner flying.

Today we tend to think of flags as primarily decorative items.   In 1814 the flag was an essential communications device on the battlefield.  

The flag flying above a fort demonstrated which army controlled it.  When an army captured  a fort it took down the enemy's flag and raised its own flag.   If the occupants of  a fort lowered their flag, "struck their colors", it meant that they were surrendering.

When Francis Scott Key saw that the flag was still flying over Ft. McHenry he knew the men in the fort had refused to be intimidated by the British artillery barrage.   His poem celebrated the courage of the men in the fort rather than the flag itself.

The use of the flag to demonstrate a resolve to stand up to America's enemies has continued into this century.  This spirit was demonstrated in World War II when the Marines who took Iwo Jima quickly raised the flag to let those at sea know they were established on the island.   New York city firefighters showed they were not defeated when they erected a flag at Ground Zero shortly after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

Those who disrespect the military by attacking the national anthem demonstrate a lack of gratitude for what the military has done to reduce racism.  360,000 U.S. army soldiers, including 40,000 black, died in the Civil War which ended slavery.  After WWII President Harry Truman integrated the military to show that black men and white men could live together and work together.  President Dwight Eisenhower used paratroopers in Little Rock to insure compliance with a federal court order to desegregate the schools.

Is It Colin Kaepenick's Revenge?

I didn't realize how bad the NFL's concussion problem was until  many of its players developed kneeling sickness during the singing of the national anthem.    .  The kneelers claim they are protesting racism, but kneeling is usually done as a form of submission, not a form of protest.   In the NFL, a player who fields a kickoff in the end zone will kneel to show he doesn't plan to run with the ball.   Late in the game the  quarterback on the team that is leading will "take a knee" to run out the clock.     Kneeling is what a slave may do to show obedience to an owner.

The national anthem, "Star Spangled Banner", recalls the bravery of the men in one of our nation's most important battles.   In the War of 1812 the men of Ft. McHenry held off the British navy in spite of a fierce naval bombardment.  At dawn the flag was still waving.  By protesting during the national anthem,  the kneelers  show contempt for those Americans who died in that battle including an escaped slave who had enlisted as a private in the U.S. army using the name William Williams.   The  kneelers also show contempt for 360,000 U.S. army soldiers who died fighting in the Civil War which ended slavery.   40,000 of those soldiers were black.

The kneelers alienate many of those fans who have friends and relatives serving in distant combat zones.   Many fans have served in combat in the current conflict or lost friends or relatives in the 9/11 attack.

The kneelers have created a rift between players and fans that is costing the league revenue.   I wonder if that was Colin Kaepenick's goal when he persuaded current players to become involved in this silly protest.   Did he encourage the protests to get even with NFL teams for not signing him as  a free agent?

If NFL players really want to do something about racism they should donate money to civil  rights organizations, including political action committees that support civil rights oriented candidates  Kneeling on the sidelines and whining like children in a store who want toys is unlikely to accomplish anything.