OT Anthem Politics

And there were slaves fighting for their freedom for the colonials as well. I fail to see how that part is racist though. They were slaves..... fighting for the British..... That's historically what they were.

 

No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave

The British gave the slaves a refuge. Key was basically stating that even though you now have this refuge, it ultimately won't save you. And, under the American flag you'll still either be a slave or be dead. Well I'm good. You won't see me standing for the national anthem at any blazer games. When I referee Varsity games I won't be putting my hand over my heart. In all my years of refereeing I have always placed my hand over my heart while noticing my white counterparts standing with their hands behind the backs. No one was outraged about them.

 

It's time for the melting pot to stop being divisive. This was a real protest that lead to change...notice the crowd

 

We are stronger together....that's the whole idea of what modern America should practice...ignorance is ignorance...

 

So did the Colonials. There were slaves fighting for the our freedom as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans_in_the_Revolutionary_War

So your own interpretation of some VERY vague words is enough justification for you to call the entire thing racist? How does that quote apply to the "hireling" then? How does that play into your interpretation?

 

I don't care if athletes protest without showing up for patriotic rituals anymore...I would not choose that method personally but that's me. The guy has used his soapbox to do some good after the initial anthem snub...I commend him for that.

 

I think race relations are worse now than they have been in decades. I see a lot of people using this as an excuse to talk openly about their racist opinions on white people.

When someone says things like "white people this" and "white people that" they are generalizing about a race that spans many demographics and cultures, and yet they can say whatever they want and lump all white people together. If 51% of white people support Kaepernick, do you get to say that "white people are against our freedom to protest!" Or does it only take one white guy saying racist things to slander all white people?

It seems to me that these opinions have been boiling under the surface for a long time, and now we're finally seeing them because it's popular to bash on white people.

 

Hilarious...

 

I would love to see some actual sources to support your opinion on the star spangled banner.

 

I haven't been around for that long, but race relations are definitely as bad as I've seen it since maybe the OJ stuff when I was like 4 years old. Everything is politicized these days and it's just making everything worse, spurred on by losers like fake black guy Shaun King.

 

NY Times:
Is the National Anthem Racist? Beyond the Debate Over Colin Kaepernick

LA Times:
How 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' racist or not, became our national anthem.

Snopes doesn't say false:
The Star-Spangled Banner' and Slavery

"In fairness, it has also been argued that Key may have intended the phrase as a reference to the British Navy's practice of impressment (kidnapping sailors and forcing them to fight in defense of the crown), or as a semi-metaphorical slap at the British invading force as a whole (which included a large number of mercenaries), though the latter line of thinking suggests an even stronger alternative theory — namely, that the word "hirelings" refers literally to mercenaries, and "slaves" refers literally to slaves. It doesn't appear that Francis Scott Key ever specified what he did mean by the phrase, nor does its context point to a single, definitive interpretation."

You can interpret this however you want. Others may interpret it differently. You have to know what Key stood for and what happened to him in his life. I'll maintain my opinion.

The National Anthem Is A Celebration Of Slavery.

Star-Spangled Bigotry: The Hidden Racist History of the National Anthem

Next time do your own research. You have access to the same search engines as I. You just have to care enough to look.

 

i think the star spangled banner should be replaced with a rap song about doing coke and degrading women.

 

WTF does "fake black guy" mean? Do you know anything about his story? He's not Rachel whatever the fuck her name is. His family had to HIDE his past. Ask yourself why.

 

Beethoven was an asshole according to history, so was Miles Davis...Miles had a reputation of over the top mistreatment of white musicians often...he ruined Mike Sterns favorite guitar just to fuck with him....wrote great music, so did Beethoven....

 

Because the 6 companies (BET is owned by Viacom) that control all of our media has duped you into believing that's what Hip Hop is all about?

 

sir, i like good rap, im just being a cock while i cruise down the road in my six fo

 

Because his mom cheated on her husband? That is what I gathered from snopes but how would I know the truth?

 

Did you even read the links that you provided?

From this article -

"Why do you think those who call the song racist are wrong?

The social context of the song comes from the age of slavery, but the song itself isn’t about slavery, and it doesn’t treat whites differently from blacks. The reference to slaves is about the use, and in some sense the manipulation, of black Americans to fight for the British, with the promise of freedom. The American forces included African-Americans as well as whites. The term “freemen,” whose heroism is celebrated in the fourth stanza, would have encompassed both."

From this article -

"The line is believed to refer to black slaves who were promised freedom if they fought on the side of the British during the War of 1812. "

So you support the slaves who fought for the British? How about the slaves that fought for the Americans?

It's your claim. The burden of proof is on you. Regardless, that doesn't make it racist. They were slaves, that's what they were, and they were fighting for the British. They were fighting with the enemy of this country. There were slaves fighting on the side of the US as well. So from what I can tell, he's saying that there will be nowhere to run or hide for the mercenaries or the slaves fighting against the Americans. It strikes me as contempt for the people fighting against us, whether they were British troops, mercenaries, or free slaves.