Or teach our kids to not pledge allegiance to something or someone until they fully understand what that means.
Does the National Anthem mean anything...anymore...
- Thread starter BBUK
- Start date
respecting your country doesn't start with saluting the flag. it starts with not throwing trash on to the the streets, not gaming public services for benefit, not trying to extract more services for free. the honest truth is that we need to emphasize civic duty. people aren't invested in the nation as it stands. there is something to be said for having a national (not necessarily military) service requirement like the israeli's do.
If you wear your patriotism or religion on your sleeve then you are a dirtball.
Funny the people who are the least patriotic are usually the ones demanding the most from the government flying the flag. Anymore the flag to me stands for the people that built this country. The soldiers who died, the farmers who grew our food, the people who made the stuff we love, the people who built our buildings and businesses. Yes we have made mistakes along the way, slavery, trail of tears, Vietnam, etc, but we have done a lot of good too. Probably why the people who have actually done something really appreciate it. They start to feel like they are part of it. Wouldn't expect it to mean as much to the ever larger portion of this country that has no skin in the game.
I don't consider many on here total strangers. Didn't think I posted like I was bitching, but hurting. You be good and keep tough. One day you may really need to be...
Threads like these are always good to see everybody's true colors.
OP I agree with you and it is sad. My son will be taught the reason to stand at attention and act respectful when the song plays. Just one more reason this country is in the shape it is in.
OP I agree with you and it is sad. My son will be taught the reason to stand at attention and act respectful when the song plays. Just one more reason this country is in the shape it is in.
It starts with having standards and building a sense of pride in your kids. When my kids were little, my kids were taught "We ........'s are respectful, love our country and conduct ourselves certain ways. Though our country is not perfect, it's the best the world has to offer or has ever seen. We conduct ourselves with dignity and decency". My parents/grandparents did it that way. Some on here would call it "brainwashing", but that is how children are trained.
Maybe you don't but I play it and watch Rocky IV every morning before I start work.
Love it or leave it is what I say.
USA! USA! USA!
I think you are talking about the bankers here. I also think if more people were "patriotic" we would have more good paying jobs in this country. But jobs are talked about as if they are unharvested fruit growing on every tree and bush in this country rather than a consequence of good decisions by our leaders over a long period of time whose concern is this nation and not their money men..
While I agree with you I thought I had done that and thoroughly with my children growing up and beyond but I must have done something drastically wrong as I never thought I'd see that day that I was ashamed of my children. I love my three children deeply as only a parent can explain but I sure had issue with that boy that day. Kind of demoralized me a bit. If I wasn't so dog gone optimistic I'd have suffered a bout of depression for sure. I did anyway but I'm not one to throw a pity party. Sure did hurt though knowing I have messed up bad somewhere along the way. (Never thought I was perfect or near it but I thought I had things in the right direction to where they'd make the right choices or at least choices that made sense....)
Last edited:
Your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore.
Sounds like a good time to have a father/son chat..."you know, son, when I saw....when they played the NA, I felt disappointed...I didn't understand...etc...". If you failed as a parent, he'll say something like...this country sucks, or I don't give a rat about this country or what you or anyone else thinks. Likely, he'll listen and say something that does reflect how he's been raised.
It's a generational thing. I wouldn't dream of standing up with my hand over my heart when the NA is played on a TV event, and I'm a vet. But when my mom was a little girl, her granddad made EVERYONE in the house stand at attention with their hands over their hearts whenever the NA came on. Even when the anthem was played when the TV stations went off the air at midnight, if you were awake, you stood at attention.
Kids do what they are taught. If the parents don't teach them proper respect, they won't give respect, to the anthem or anything else.
Kids do what they are taught. If the parents don't teach them proper respect, they won't give respect, to the anthem or anything else.
For them to get that you're insinuating they're a closet gay, you have to ask yourself what are the odds that they watched "American Beauty?"
I don't know about you but when I piss it comes out as red, white and blue.
This is my pic from 3rd grade.
Were you in Cincinnati in 1951, living on Allen Dr? If not, STFU.
Edit: While I'm at it, put your feet in that bucket, fill it with concrete, and throw yourself in the Ohio River.
Wait. Your dad made everyone stand at attention. But your mom didnt teach you to do that. So kids don't teach them what they are taught.
I stand fully erect every time I hear it.
This is the song, right?
This is the song, right?
Since there was no National Anthem before 1931, any singing of it by slaves would have been highly unusual.
What is also sad is when retreat was about to be play or taps at night on base when I used to live in the barracks/dorms and see other service members hauling *** to get inside so they wouldn't have to salute and get caught having to stand outside why it plays. Also, stay in their cars to avoid it. You wouldn't see those same dirt bags run that fast during PT as they would to avoid retreat or taps.
Last edited:
Veteran here, and I don't care. Some of my vet/currently in friends care, and some don't. It's something I find hard to get bent out of shape about. It's symbolism.
There's too much faux patriotism as is, where looking patriotic is more important to many/most than actually doing something patriotic. The pharisees of nationalism. I don't care if you're into nothing but bald eagles with flags, but if you question/denigrate someone else's patriotism because they don't you're doing it wrong.
Well said.
There's too much faux patriotism as is, where looking patriotic is more important to many/most than actually doing something patriotic. The pharisees of nationalism. I don't care if you're into nothing but bald eagles with flags, but if you question/denigrate someone else's patriotism because they don't you're doing it wrong.
Well said.
Haha, I remember that. Some people would set alarms on their phones/watches for 5 minutes to - the "get inside" warning. Also fun - standing for the national anthem before movies on base.
Why is the national anthem played before every sporting event (and many non sporting events) at all? It's because 1) communism and its legacy, and 2) teams/corporate sponsors realizing that doing something symbolic will lead to more revenue. That's it. There's zero patriotic thought in it aside from rare occurrences.