Teach your children well

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This is a observation rather than a question. With all the resurgence of patriotism, one of the local TV stations showed a clip of a group of high school students singing our national anthem accompanied on piano by their teacher. All held sheet music, all were reading the words from those sheets. Why couldn't they sing from memory? Twenty years ago, I was a substitute in a local elementary school. At the beginning of baseball season, I teased a class of FIRST GRADERS about the last two words of the Star Spangled Banner. Although the joke's answer considering baseball season was "Play ball!" these little kids knew the correct answer was "the brave." We are the home of the brave but why couldn't these current high school kids know the words by heart?

-- (rainbow@ktis.net), September 16, 2001

Answers

Probably because twenty years ago we recited "The pledge of allegience" every morning facing the flag that was in every classroom, with our hand over our heart!

Evidently, this is not done anymore, and I really don't know when and where this practice stopped, but I feal that was the beginning of a radical change for the worse in American society, to the "me generation" and everything else be damned.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), September 16, 2001.


In my humble opinion I would surmise this is a result of the changes in the thrust from other "groups" in our society to be inclusive of their religions, etc as well. As a result of that many schools across the country ahd to change Christmas Concert to Winter concert or Christmas vacation to Winter Vacation as well as Easter. Nothing worng there in my opinion with that, however, what I think changed the inclusion of many Patriotic songs we used to sing was the recent court rulings about not having to stand for the pledge unless it offended you and you were from another belief.

I think that this is a trinkle down effect from the changes in our society from cultural aspects and attitudes as well as a complacent attitude towards our own country's might and wealth.

It may be too that the students had sheets because they were nervous and needed somthing in front of them. But I suspect that our Patriotic roots are springing back. This is surely a tense time and there are many little things we will notice that for many of us have changed over the years that clearly define how we have changed as a country. I think that theb teacher and the students should be applauded for their efforsts no matter how/what they did. Just my humble oipinion this Sunday morning without a lot of caffine yet. Have a wonderful Sunday everyone.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoiats@yahoo.com), September 16, 2001.


I saw one former president looking down at the words as he sang "Glory Glory Halleluiah" this week(not the verse, but the chorus). Perhaps he was only looking down?.. Taught cub scouts the national anthem last year, and was likewise surprised that they didn't already know it, but enjoyed teaching them the song, and the history behind it.

-- xx (xx@xx.com), September 16, 2001.

My daughter's public elementary school observed a moment of silence on Friday to honor those affected by Tuesday's terrorist attacks and every student was respectfully silent. Then the school played the Star Spangled Banner over the intercom and her class (3rd graders) all sang the words loudly. They then recited the Pledge of Allegiance loudly. They knew the words to both by heart. It made me proud. There are still some public schools that honor our country's flag.

-- Sandy (tripletreefarm@hotmail.com), September 16, 2001.

The other day when I was at one of those huge book store chains (killing time before a movie) I saw a book in the humor section entitled "How To Be A Good Citizen". It was meant in a jokey way - illustrated with those colorwashed line drawings like an old boyscout manual or 1950's school book. The thing was, as I was flipping through it being amused by the presentation I noticed that the actual content of the work was pretty much good advice, in a non-funny way. How to treat your fellow Americans, how to vote, etc. I'm not sure if the "joke" was simply in the presentation, or if it is just considered funny to be a considerate and educated citizen. In any case, I am considering buying the tome for use in instructing my kindergarten age niece. She's too young to get the "joke" and may learn something useful.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), September 16, 2001.


My sons school has the kids say the pledge of alligence every morning.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), September 16, 2001.

I agree with Bernice. Ever stand up in front of a crowd and sing or speak? It can make one nervous enough to forget their own name let alone the words to a song or speech.

-- debra in ks (windfish@toto.net), September 16, 2001.

When I was a kid growing up, we started the school day off with a prayer, pledge allegienc, star spangled banner every morning. Christmas time came around our school put on a big christmas program that included a little play and a lot of songs from every grade with all the students. A prayer and star spangled banner to start every football game with.

Now they don't pray and they are not allowed to put on a christmas program. They can have a halloween carnival but not a christmas program. Isn't halloween based on a unseen spiritual being also?

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), September 16, 2001.


Canadians in Ottawa were asking themselves the same question the other day after the "3-minutes of silence" ceremony they held. (By the way, they estimate 80-100 THOUSAND people gathered on Parliment Hill to show their support and sympathy for the U.S.) One Canadian talk show host observed that, ironically, the crowd could sing "The Star-Spangled Banner twice as lustily as "O Canada". He thought perhaps they learned it at hockey games!!!

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), September 17, 2001.

By the way, no one prayed at that ceremony in Ottawa, although the Jewish, Moslem, Christian, Catholic, and other various religions were represented. Most people phoning in lamented Canada's apparent inability to pray publicly.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), September 17, 2001.


Bear in mind also most of these songs have several sections, with only the first one being normally sung. I'd be lost after the first section also.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 17, 2001.

In case you haven't ever seen the entire lyrics to our national anthem here they are:

The Star Spangled Banner September 20, 1814

By Francis Scott Key

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines on the stream: 'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion A home and a country should leave us no more? Their blood has wiped 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.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

={(Oak)-

-- Live Oak (oneliveoak@yahoo.com), September 17, 2001.


I slept on this, but am still upset by it. Last evening I watched the start of a baseball game. While I players were all lined up on the baselines, I did not see the first one singing along with The Star Spangled Banner or America the Beautiful. They loosed completed bored. In fact, one spit out tobacco juice so soon as the music stopped. I lost a lot of respect for professional players right then and there.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 18, 2001.

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