On Thu, 11 May 2006 16:18:28 +0000, CyberDroog wrote:

From The Liberator Online:

It turns out that there were no less than four Spanish translations of
"The Star-Spangled Banner" already on the U.S. State Department's Web
site when all this controversy erupted. Indeed, the U.S. government
published a Spanish version as far back as 1919. Versions in German,
French, Yiddish and other languages were commissioned by the government
decades ago and are available, too.

I read about this a while back... what do they say about people who don't
remember history?

On Thu, 11 May 2006 16:18:28 +0000, CyberDroog wrote:

From The Liberator Online:

It turns out that there were no less than four Spanish translations of
"The Star-Spangled Banner" already on the U.S. State Department's Web
site when all this controversy erupted. Indeed, the U.S. government
published a Spanish version as far back as 1919. Versions in German,
French, Yiddish and other languages were commissioned by the government
decades ago and are available, too.

I read about this a while back... what do they say about people who don't
remember history?

On Thu, 11 May 2006 16:18:28 GMT, CyberDroog
<CyberDroog@ClockworkOrange.com> wrote:

From The Liberator Online:

Star-Spangled Silliness

Anti-immigration forces went ballistic recently about the hit song "Nuestro
Himno," a Spanish-language adaptation of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Indeed, the weirdly fierce hysteria over the song even reached the White
House, where President Bush felt compelled to assert that "the national
anthem ought to be sung in English."

Some prominent Congressional doofuses quickly went further. Senator Lamar
Alexander (R-TN), joined by a gaggle of other senators, introduced a
nonbinding resolution proclaiming that the national anthem, along with
various other patriotic statements and songs, "should be recited or sung in
English."

Amazingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, the U.S. Senate quickly *passed*
it -- unanimously. A similar measure has been introduced in the House.

It's nice to know that, even though Congress can't be troubled to deal with
out- of-control spending, a frightening federal assault on fundamental
civil liberties, and similar minor matters, they can always be counted upon
to take quick action on the really *important* issues.

Now, the rest of the story.

It turns out that there were no less than four Spanish translations of "The
Star-Spangled Banner" already on the U.S. State Department's Web site when
all this controversy erupted. Indeed, the U.S. government published a
Spanish version as far back as 1919. Versions in German, French, Yiddish
and other languages were commissioned by the government decades ago and are
available, too.

So it seems that, for nearly a century, the U.S. government has had no
trouble at all with the idea of folks singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in
other languages. Indeed, the government has funded it and encouraged it.

Further, there are eyewitness accounts that President Bush himself, while
running in 2000, sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" in Spanish to woo Hispanic
voters. Bush now denies that, saying his Spanish is so poor he would be
incapable of doing that. (Given his well-publicized troubles with the
English language, one is inclined to believe him.)

As for Senator Lamar Alexander, a few years ago, when bilingual education
was more popular with voters, he was a strong opponent of "English only"
policies.
Indeed, in 1995 he stated: "My dream is that every child in America grows
up learning two languages." Just don't try *singing* in more than one of
them, kids.

And what about America's first national motto, still enshrined on the
national seal -- E Pluribus Unum? When are we going to do something about
that?

Finally, someone needs to point out to our rulers that the Pledge of
Allegiance was written by an avowed socialist, Francis Bellamy, who said he
hoped it would help American schoolchildren embrace state socialism.
Resolutions, anyone?

(Sources: http://www.reason.com/links/links050806.shtml
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060504102609990019&ncid=NWS00
010000000001
http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MDcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2
cWVlRUV5eTY5MzI3MzkmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-
0605080165may08,1,1768147.story?coll=chi-opinionfront-hed
http://www.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo54.html
http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1281

Damn politicians, rush to vote yay so as not to appear unpatriotic to
their constituents. Let 'em focus all their time on non-issues like
this, they never effect any meaningful change anyway. The Georgia
state flag design was debated for years while I was living there,
unknown amounts of cash vaporized in the process as the design went
back and forth several times. I couldn't pick either version out in a
lineup. And there's always the mission critical flag burning issue.
Pick a side and have arguments of intensity comparable to the abortion
debate.

I completely ignore politics. I couldn't tell you the name's of my
state senators or any representatives, governors, mayors, etc. It's
never seemed to hurt me. One thing I've never understood is that
check box on your tax form about donating $1 to the presidential
election campaign. It doesn't impact your tax due. Well where the
hell does the money come from - it has to come from the taxpayers
somewhere along the way, fine, it's only $1 but the source of the
contribution is not disclosed and the implication is that it's a
freebie and you should feel guilty for checking No.

Hell, I don't even know all the English words to the Star-Spangled
Banner or really even what war it related to, WWII? In my opinion the
ritual is overly dramatic and overdone, just play ball already. Now,
I can tell you who the remaining tribe memebers on Survivor are. God,
I'm a typical clueless American, no wonder we're so well respected.