How many folk know their own country's anthem these days?

[Biltmore Bob]

You mean "The Pledge....", Wolf.

 

[The Wolf]

Yeah, I said the Pledge , didn't I?

That's why I'm better understood in person. When I talk about the prototypical submarine "The Turtle" used in WWII. I can tell by people's faces I messed up and say "Oops, I meant theCivil War". Either that or they don't catch my mistake, repeat to someone else who says "where did you hear that baloney?" and I'm found out as an idiot.
This is why I won't be interviewed on video.

Red in the face,
The Wolf

 

[Biltmore Bob]

The thing is...

American Children are taught Civics and Government in school, they just choose not to retain it. VH1, Paris Hilton, 50 Cent, and Ambercrombie and Fitch are like just way more important, ya.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

That's why I'm better understood in person. When I talk about the prototypical submarine "The Turtle" used in WWII. I can tell by people's faces I messed up and say "Oops, I meant theCivil War". Either that or they don't catch my mistake, repeat to someone else who says "where did you hear that baloney?" and I'm found out as an idiot.
This is why I won't be interviewed on video.

Red in the face,
The Wolf

Don't you mean the Revolutionary War?

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Or...

The French and Indian War?

 

[ITG]

What amazes me when I go to baseball games and the Star Spangled Banner is played, people don't put their hand over their heart. The school I used to work at had a song of the week and the national anthem was sung about every six weeks. Our kids there knew it...we even had to have a transparency up during this time in case the kids forgot the words.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Heck, I've seen people who don't even take off their ballcaps for the national anthem, or for presentation of the colors. Used to be, if Old Glory passed you in a parade, you took your hat off. I guess this stuff just isn't taught anymore, or else people have absolutely no respect for anything.

Brad

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

People just don't understand hat etiquette. I swear that there must be people out there who have somehow superglued a ballcap to their skull.

I see people wearing hats while eating in restaurants, while eating at home, while in class, while in someone else's house, while in their own house, while in church and God knows where else...maybe also in the shower?

 

[shamus]

I guess this stuff just isn't taught anymore, or else people have absolutely no respect for anything.

Brad

I don't think it's a lack of respect, they just don't know they're suppose too.

I've come to the realization that there are just a bunch of really ignorant people in this country. Kids are graduating high school who couldn't point to the USA on a world map. How in the world would they know to take their ball caps off when the national anthem is sung? Let alone the words?

 

[The Wolf]

and that's another thing

Sometimes when I drop my kids at school I need to stop at school office quickly before I dash out the door. If the Pledge has started I can't leave until I put my hand to my heart, face the flag and say the Pledge. Then I have to rush even faster. I just can't leave during.
Has anyone heard Robert Klein's routine about "The Star-Spangled Banner"? All I remember is his comment That the beginning "Oh.." starts on two notes and compares to a doo-wop song.

Sure there's an error,
The Wolf

 

[Leporello]

The GREAT in GREAT BRITAIN, has become a mere shadow of itself.
QUOTE]

Perhaps it's not so much that youngsters these days are becoming less patriotic but more that they leave school unable to understand or use English. I blame the parents and the malign influences of old American War movies on TV.

 

[ITG]

I was at Best Buy last night checking out the Super Saver section for CDs. They had a CD with nothing but national anthems from around the world for like $5.99 or $6.99. I started to buy it for my classroom (we study other cultures and languages), but I worried that it was instrumental and didn't have the words since it mentioned some philharmonic orchestra performing but no one doing vocals was mentioned, but I thought I'd post it if anyone was interested.

 

[Bebop]

I don't really want to raise any hackles........Well, I suppose I do get a kick out of it, but I can't understand why it would be important to know your anthem. The U.S. has strange, barbaric, outdated lyrics in it that are kind of creepy. Same thing with the pledge. Being a veteran, I have never understood patriotism, being proud of something that you don't have control over, like where you were born, or what race you are or even your sexual preference seems a little weird to me. Shouldn't we be proud of something we have actually acomplished ourselves? Like graduating from a University or going beyond the call of duty in the military? Or as a community raising enough funds for this or that? Let's just rally together to kick ass when it comes to us against them. No need for silly poems or songs.