As a young man I rarely felt comfortable singing our “National Anthem” at sports stadiums. The “bombs bursting in air” seemed a bit “political” and “off putting” when I just wanted to watch the game.
There was an even earlier time, before the Vietnam War, when I really had sung it at the top of my voice ... bursting with patriotism! But by the Vietnam War it was clear we were dropping most of the bombs ... on people who never did a bit of harm to us. I grew to hate the pompous militarism of the anthem.
So what to do?
Eventually I adopted an old strategy, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do...” I stood and was silent, acting as if I was a dumb foreigner (or American) who just didn’t know the words. Actually I already knew them better than most, and even learned of the dreadful third verse and how it’s author was a friend of Roger Taney of Dred Scott Infamy and one of the richest, most powerful slave owners in the country. Usually nobody noticed me silently standing there. I figured, if I stand to show respect, no hand on heart, silently, that was OK. Hell, when I was traveling I did as much for other nation’s anthems too!
But time doesn’t stand still. By the ‘68 Olympics I already respected our athletes who raised their fists ... and had their careers destroyed for it. I never was a Muhammad Ali fan, and I despised his religious cult, but I respected his refusal to fight in Vietnam, and I felt Malcom X’s appeal.
I recall how the U.S. boycotted the Soviet Olympics in 1980 because they were forced to help a neighboring Afghan government fight off Osama bin Laden and fanatic Islamic Jihadist “freedom fighters” backed by the CIA. I respected the few Western athletes who went anyway...
Today most Americans are still locked into a kind of blind national / militarist fervor, and still react instinctively on these issues. There really are many sides of this issue, and different understandings of patriotism and nationalism and politics and whether they should play a role in sports at all.
I don’t have a hard position on the NFL, actually don’t follow sports much, but I respect the decision of the players who did not want to salute our anthem or any anthem before playing, as also those who kneel or stand or sing. I also think people ought to consider and respect the power and humanity of linking arms in a minute of silence and basic human solidarity.
Everybody can sing, or at least listen respectfully, to the beautiful “Lift Every Heart and Sing.” Here are the words, with their deep soulfulness and humanity, for those here who have never heard it before:
Lift Every Voice America Sing