Didn't Tear Up Hearing the Star Spangled Banner Sunday

[jedicord]

OK, now I've had it. Whenever I've heard the national anthem, no matter what I was doing, I'd stand up, sing, and get choked up. Sunday they played the anthem before a sports program and I stood up, and nothing. Nothing. All that flag waving and patriotism since 9/11 has cheapened even that. Eventually had to tear off my bumper sticker that said "God Bless America" after 9/11, 'cause my God and my America have nothing to do with how they're being portrayed now.

Anyone feel the same?

[saline]

1. I agree completely,

The whole situation has been cheapened, it's just a giant advertising campaign.

[kwolf68]

2. You tap into a serious issue

I have the same problem. It appears the Republicans are once again trying to co-opt freedom, the flag, the USA, patriotism for themselves.

These people have so successfully confused the issue that I fear if I do wave a flag or put the flag on my car people will think I’m a Republican. When our nation and a emblematic symbol are co-opted by a group of narrow-minded ideological trolls its hard to keep your same perspective.

I would suggest (sad that I have to do this) putting a disclaimer on your patriotism if you know what I mean. In other words, fly the flag on the back of your car loud and proud…right beside a “Bush sucks” bumper sticker or something.

[jedicord]

3. Good Idea

I want the one that is the flag, but instead of stars it says "Think".

[roguevalley]

4. its been co-opted by the bad guys

when our guy, whoever it is, gets in there, it will be better. i remember feeling the same way during the viet nam war.

[jedicord]

9. American Pie

Looks like I understand that song better.

"When the three men I admire the most, The Father, Son and Holy Ghost, all took a ride for the coast, the day the music died."

(paraphrase, sorry)

Now I gotta get that CD, some tequila, and Kleenex.

[ComerPerro]

5. You are very right

They have cheapened patriotism with all of their jingoistic, nationalistic bullshit.

[tom_paine]

6. Yes, exactly the same

I often got misty hearing the Star Spangled Banner. Occasionally squeezing out a couple tears, such as my days in the USAF when I would get tagged to perform Retreat.

But of course, now my tears flow for other reasons like murdered Democratic Senators, the increasingly Soviet nature of our country (it's mostly at the top currently, but this is one aspect of Trickle-Down that actually works) and the way the Busheviks use the Constitution and Bill of Rights for toilet paper when they aren't lying their asses off like they thought of us what Brezhnev must have thought of his people.

It simply isn't the same country we grew up in. The Old American Republic is dying and the corpse hasn't hit the floor yet and it's still warm.

It's is our curse and our blessing to be in the first wave of people who notice what eventually, as in the Soviet Union aftre 30-50 years, no one but a Hardcore Bushevik couldn't help but notice.

So, yes, I very much understand your point.

[calimary]

7. I know that feeling. I still get choked up at those times. But

it's because it makes me sad. Because the America I was brought up to love and appreciate and participate in - is not one I recognize quite so much, now. We have a new face to wear these days. It's meaner, angrier, narrower, more stingey, more fearful, more suspicious, heavier and cloudier than ever I can remember. I'm 50 now, and I can remember back to Vietnam and Watergate and even some Kennedy, although I was still pretty young and out of it. I cry for what I miss. I cry for what I know it really means. What made rebels and fringies and opponents of oligarchy found this country was resistance to the kind of things we seem to be seeing plenty of, now. I cry for what I wish America was, yet again. I'm a little more hopeful, just lately. But the pall still overshadows everything.

[searchingforlight]

8. I am in the same boat.

I have always felt great waves of emotion when it came to our flag, our national anthem and the symbols of America.

I am no longer affected by them. I actually don't feel anything about the flag anymore. I have disposed of mine and will never buy or fly one until I feel that the national code of ethics reflects values that America can be proud of.

This has been brewing for some time as I learn about what Nixon did to Allende, knew about Iran Contra, Oliver North, George Sr. and the boys, learned more and more about the corruption in the Reagan and Bush Sr. administrations - on and on.

I feel we have got to get rid of blanket executive privilege. We have a right to know what is being done in our name and to be proud of what is being represented as America to the world.

[Brucey]

10. Guess I'm old.

This happened to me a long time ago during Viet Nam war. American flag and national anthem make me sad or angry now.

[htuttle]

11. Yup

Sometimes the Jimi Hendrix rendition still does it, but it's an angry sort of thing. I've considered that version MY national anthem for a long time.