Personally I have never liked * The Star Spangled Banner (TSSB), as our National Anthem.

It is an anthem about war.

“Rockets’ red glare and bomb bursting in the air” all about death and destruction.

The TSSB is a constant reminder of war.

When Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the National Anthem; everyone who criticised him said he was disrespecting the military, and the men and women who have served.

Initially I did not agree with Kaepernick sitting down during the playing/singing of the National anthem.

I had served in the US military for over 23 years; and I don’t care for people who disrespect the flag or the National Anthem.

However because of the Kaepernick controversy, I soon learned about the slave master named Francis Scott Keys who was the author of the TSSB; and also about the unknown verses of what became known as The Star Spangled Banner.

Keys wrote about killing slaves who had sought freedom from slavery.

That was enough for me to never; if possible to never stand for the playing/sing of The Star Spangled Banner again.

The first name given to what later was called TSSB, was “ The Defense of Fort Henry.”

The author Francis Scott Key, later changed it to the TSSB.

That may be one reason why, our National Anthem, is now exclusively related to the military; and nothing else.

It was originally written to describe a battle.

It was only officially designated as our National Anthem by the US Congress during the 1930s.

Before that ‘My Country Tis of Thee’ was recognised as our National Anthem.

The part of the TSSB, now used for the National Anthem is only from the first verse of Francis Scott Key’s poem.

Ignored is the second verse of the poem, which included lines about the killing of slaves; who were seeking freedom from slavery.

For this reason alone we should overwhelmingly stop using the Star Spangled banner as our National Anthem

I personally would prefer, “ ** My Country Tis of Thee” or “ America The Beautiful ” or even “ Lift Every Voice and Sing ” as our National Anthem.

My Country Tis of Thee , as said before, was the recognised National Anthem for the United States of America, for most of the 19th century.

OUR NATIONAL HERITAGE IS MUCH MORE THAN WARS

The flag of the United States of America (USA) represent a lot more than just fighting wars and the military.

The first thing that the average American say when the National Anthem or the flag of the USA is perceived as being disrespected, is that our military men and women have been disrespected.

Why?

Yes why?

As stated above: when Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the National Anthem; everyone who criticised him said he was disrespecting the military, and the men and women who have served.

WE HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMED TO SEE THE FLAG AND THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, AS AN EXTENSION OF THE US MILITARY

The people of the USA have been programmed over the last century, to only think of our anthem and flag as it relates to the military.

We have been conditioned for the past 65 years or so to associated our flag and anthem only with the military.

The corporate elites have told us that we are enjoying our freedom as Americans because our military has fought for our freedom.

Really!

Which recent war did the US military fight in, which guarantee our freedoms as citizens of the USA?

Was it the wars in Korea; Vietnam; Iraq; or the war in Afghanistan; the war on drugs; the war on poverty?

Or maybe the military invasions during the 20th century of Grenada; Panama; Haiti; Nicaragua; Dominican Republic; the Philippines; Lebanon?

Which one of these wars and military interventions in poor countries, guaranteed our freedom as American citizens?

When was the last time any other nation threatened to invade the USA?

The US military is NOT the only reason why we have remained a free nation.

We are a free nation, because of our Democratic principles.

And the Constitution of the USA is the foundation of those Democratic principles.

When was the last time the US military prevented a foreign government, from changing our Constitution?

Never.

ALL Americans are responsible for protecting those Democratic principles.

Not just the members of the US military.

Just because a person may be in the US military; doesn’t mean they know more about the US Constitution; than the average non military American.

I served over 20 years serving in the US military, and I know that many military members, are just as ignorant about the Democratic principles that our national laws are based on.

I believe that the reason why The Star Spangled Banner was adopted as our National Anthem during the 1930S; was because the United States of America, was becoming a militaristic, imperialist nation.

The ‘Corporate Elites’ began using the US military, vigorously, as their private, strong arm goons.

The military was being used to suppress the rebellion of the people in poor countries against American corporate interests.

Corporations that were based inside the USA.

It was also during the 1930s that General Smedley D. Butler wrote his revealing book, “War is a Racket.”

After many years as a US Marine officer, he came to the realisation that the US military’s primary function, was to protect the financial interest of the rich and powerful American corporations, that operated in poor countries around the world.

These corporations with their paid flunkies, in the US Congress and Senate; use patriotic rhetoric to make the American citizens believe that these wars and military interventions, were for noble reasons.

The US military then and now, is being used to ensure that the American corporations will continue to rob the natural resources of weak nations around the world.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR MILITARY SERVICE

For the past 10 years or so the US corporations have instructed all their employees; to say to all active duty and retired military members they encounter: “Thank you for your military service.”

AND THAT IS ALL THE US CORPORATIONS GIVE BACK TO MILITARY VETERANS

No interest free loans for purchasing homes or buying new automobiles, for former military members; just a no-cost, six worded sentence:

‘Thank you for your military service’.

Yes, thank you, military vets for the billions of dollars our corporations have made because of the USA’s recent, military interventions in foreign countries.

These corporation through the mass media that they own and control; have elevated and glorified the military and military members.

If someone disrespects the flag or the anthem, then according to what they have told us; that is disrespecting the military, and the brave men and women who have served, to keep our nation free.

Serving in the military is a noble profession; but so is the profession of garbage collectors, the truck drivers, farmers, teachers, postal workers, doctors, nurses, fire personnel, the police etc. etc. etc.

The cessation of any of these noble professions would cause havoc in our country.

INFAMOUS EX-MILITARY MEMBERS

The media want us to forget that the majority of the worst serial killers and mass murderers in our history were former military members.

Just to name a few of the more prominent ones:

David Berkowitz (son of sam)

Gary Ridgway (the green river murders)

Dennis Rader (btk killer)

Danny Rollins (Gainsville, Florida murders)

Jeffrey Dahmer

Anthony Sowell

Robert Lee Yates

Israel Keyes

William Bonin

Randy Stevens Kraft

John Joubert

Donald Harvey

Robert James Acremant

Gary M. Heidnik

And there are many, many more besides these.

Do your own research.

And then there are the mass murders who were also former military members:

Howard Unruh (1949 mass murderer)

Charles Whitman

Timothy McVeigh

John Allen Muhammad

Micah Johnson

Devin Patrick Kelly (recent Texas church mass killer)

Yes, thank you serial killers and mass murderers for your military service.

I repeat these questions.

Why is it that every time an American citizen protest by not respecting the flag or the National Anthem, the first thing people say is; that they are disrespecting the military?

When did everything about the flag and anthem become exclusively about the military?

We have to stop believing that a military profession is greater, and more significant to our nation than any other profession.

It is because of the sly, hidden promotion of the corporations that are part of the Military Industrial Complex; why Americans have become so fascinated with the military and military members.

Through their propaganda with numerous television shows and movies glorifying the military; they have made it seem that the military and military member are a special class of Americans.

That propaganda is only for the so-called ‘middle class’ and poor Americans.

The rich upper class don’t believe that.

That is why their children rarely serve in the military.

They want the lower classes to feel special about their loved ones who die during their military service.

They don’t want them to think that their family members’ lives were really sacrificed in order to enable these powerful corporations, to continue making billions of dollars.

Our present National Anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, serves corporate interests.

Corporations that have made billions of dollars because of military contracts.

An anthem about war and fighting had to be programmed into the minds of America’s children from an early age.

Now the glorification of the military is all the US flag and National Anthem represents.

Other Americans should join Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful protest.

Not necessarily for the same reasons as Colin’s; but to show our disagreement with the militaristic, imperialistic behaviour of our government for the past 65 years.

The Star Spangled Banner, is a National Anthem that promotes the aim of the Military Industrial Complex.

Donald Trump a strong supporter of the Military Industrial Complex

Trump was supposed to be a president that was against military intervention in other countries.

But since Trump has become president; we now have American military members back in Somalia, Yemen, the Philippines and Syria.

Also our military members are fighting, in many countries in Africa.

Places were the majority of Americans don’t even know that our military members are deployed there.

Trump has been brow-beating the Europeans members of NATO, into buy more American weapons.

Also, Trump had been itching to start wars in both North Korea, and Iran.

Billions of dollars will soon be flowing into the coffers of American corporate owners.

Yeah, make America great again.

It is time to dump The Star Spangled Banner, as our National Anthem; and replace it with America The Beautiful or My Country Tis of Thee.

Our flag and the National Anthem belongs to every American citizen; not just the military.

Here is an excerpt from an article recently published by CNN

“The national anthem wasn’t always played before sporting events …

Here’s a fascinating fact: The national anthem was played at baseball games decades before it was actually the national anthem.

There are records of “The Star Spangled Banner” gracing the diamond going back as far as 1897, but the song wasn’t adopted as the national anthem until 1931.

Over time, a mix of technology, war, and keeping up appearances kept the song in the sports spotlight.

Its first big moment reportedly came in 1918 during the 7th-inning stretch of the World Series.

It’s no coincidence that its first surge in popularity came during wartime.

Nationalism stoked by World War I meant that people were more affected by the song, and the fact that major league baseball players were being actively drafted meant those who weren’t drafted benefited from showing their patriotism

Over time, other sports began adopting the practice.”

* “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 about the American victory at the Battle of Fort McHenry.

We only sing the first verse, but Key penned three more. This is part of the third verse:

“Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

The mere mention of “slave” is not entirely remarkable; slavery was alive and well in the United States in 1814.

Key himself owned slaves, was an anti-abolitionist and once called his African brethren “ a distinct and inferior race of people .”

(Above quote from CNN article)

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,

Whose stern, impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness,

And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE

1

My country, ’tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the pilgrims’ pride,

From ev’ry mountainside

Let freedom ring!

2

My native country, thee,

Land of the noble free,

Thy name I love;

I love thy rocks and rills,

Thy woods and templed hills;

My heart with rapture thrills,

Like that above.

3

Let music swell the breeze,

And ring from all the trees

Sweet freedom’s song;

Let mortal tongues awake;

Let all that breathe partake;

Let rocks their silence break,

The sound prolong.

4

Our fathers’ God to Thee,

Author of liberty,

To Thee we sing.

Long may our land be bright,

With freedom’s holy light,

Protect us by Thy might,

Great God our King.

** Additional verses of My Country Tis of Thee added by Abolitionist A. G. Duncan, 1843 : (from Wikipedia)

My country, ’tis of thee, Stronghold of slavery, of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died, Where men man’s rights deride, From every mountainside thy deeds shall ring!

My native country, thee, Where all men are born free, if white’s their skin; I love thy hills and dales, Thy mounts and pleasant vales; But hate thy negro sales, as foulest sin.

Let wailing swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees the black man’s wrong; Let every tongue awake; Let bond and free partake; Let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

Our father’s God! to thee, Author of Liberty, to thee we sing; Soon may our land be bright, With holy freedom’s right, Protect us by thy might, Great God, our King.

It comes, the joyful day, When tyranny’s proud sway, stern as the grave, Shall to the ground be hurl’d, And freedom’s flag, unfurl’d, Shall wave throughout the world, O’er every slave.

Trump of glad jubilee! Echo o’er land and sea freedom for all. Let the glad tidings fly, And every tribe reply, “Glory to God on high,” at Slavery’s fall. Or even better would be to choose , ” Lift Every Voice and Sing ‘ as our nation’s new National Anthem Lift ev’ry voice and sing,

‘Til earth and heaven ring,

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the list’ning skies,

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

Let us march on ’til victory is won.



Stony the road we t trod,

Bitter the chastening rod,

Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;

Yet with a steady beat,

Have not our weary feet

Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,

We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,

Out from the gloomy past,

‘Til now we stand at last

Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.



God of our weary years,

God of our silent tears,

Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;

Thou who has by Thy might

Led us into the light,

Keep us forever in the path, we pray.

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,

Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;

Shadowed beneath Thy hand,

May we forever stand,

True to our God,

True to our native land.

READ ALSO:

WHAT IS THE REAL MESSAGE OF, ‘MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN’?

WHICH TIME PERIOD IN AMERICAN HISTORY, DO THEY WANT US TO RETURN TO?

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