‘Nuestro Himno’ madness — redux

May 10, 2006

What has to be the dumbest “controversy” of the year — whether it’s wrong to sing the national anthem in a language other than English — unfortunately continues to percolate. Monday, the Senate passed a resolution (S.RES.458) “affirming that statements of national unity, including the [tag]National Anthem[/tag], should be recited or sung in [tag]English[/tag].” The measure, championed by Sen. [tag]Lamar Alexander[/tag] (R-Tenn.) and 12 of his Republican friends, passed on a voice vote.

Now the House is getting ready to dig in, thanks to a new measure introduced by Rep. [tag]Jim Ryun[/tag] (R-Kan.).

U.S. Representative Jim Ryun (R-KS) introduced a bipartisan resolution, H. Res. 783, affirming that statements or songs that symbolize the unity of our Nation, including the National Anthem, the Oath of Allegiance sworn by new United States citizens, and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States, should be recited or sung in English, the common language of the United States.

Rep. Ryun stated, “Our nation was built on the belief that all citizens have the freedom to say what they believe, to pray the way they want to, and to live their lives without the government infringing on these rights. But just because some things can be said – or sung in different ways, does not mean they should.”

Just for the record, these resolutions are empty gestures. They are non-binding and are not actual laws; they just let lawmakers announce their official opinions. In other words, guys like Alexander and Ryun are picking a culture-war fight just for the fun of it.

And, in case anyone’s forgotten, in 1919, the U.S. Bureau of Education commissioned a [tag]Spanish[/tag]-language version of “The Star Spangled Banner.” The State Department’s website also features four-separate versions of the anthem in Spanish and a performer sang the national anthem in English and Spanish at [tag]Bush[/tag]’s first inaugural.

The sooner this “[tag]Nuestro Himno[/tag]” nonsense ends, the better.

It would be nice to insert an amendment to the resolution calling for all American elementary school to introduce mandatory teaching of a non-English language. One big drawback the US has as we enter an era of globalization is the fact that so few citizens can speak a language other than English. Learning a non-English language will in addition begin to acquaint children with the existence and customs of other cultures.

  • The sooner this “Nuestro Himno” nonsense ends, the better.

    I’m not sure. It does distract the Republicans, at least briefly, from doing worse things. And it may be losing them more votes among Hispanics than it’s gaining them among anti-Hispanics.

  • I know, let’s make it a felony to sing it in Spanish, or to help someone with a Spanish translation of any item deemed “Amurrcan”!

  • Well, OK, let’s all go along with this “statements or songs that symbolize the unity of our nation should be in English” foolishness. Then we can insist that the New Testament be read only in Greek and the Old Testament only in Hebrew, as was clearly intended by the people who wrote them in the first place.

    I can already visualize the shocked reaction by people who think those works have always been in English (and there are such people, I assure you).

  • I do have a question about this, though. Is administering the oath to new citizens in Spanish a new thing, or were people swearing in non-English languages back in the early 1900s? It seems like a significant change.

  • It was John Secada who sang at the Bush inaugural, and he sang America The Beautiful in English and Spanish, not the Star Spangled Banner.

  • “What has to be the dumbest ‘controversy’ of the year ”

    They’ll top it. Probably an amendment to deport gay Spanish-speaking flag-burners

  • It’s just too funny; the mid-terms are just under six months away, and these guys are trying to rev up their base by isolating huge sections of the electorate. Haven’t they gotten it through their thick-as-cheese skulls that demeaning the entire Spanish-speaking portion of the populace will demolish their governing majority?

  • There was an article in Time magazine, sometime in 1961, quoting a Tennessee superintendent of schools (in the then-current debate over whether to require foreign language in public schools): “If English was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me.”

  • What has to be the dumbest “controversy” of the year …

    Reminiscent of the War on Christmas… this smells like a manufactured television news phenomena designed to boost ratings, inflame passions, support corporate interests, and entertain. As I surf from newscast to newscast, I hear the networks fanning outrage, trolling for call in opinions, and leading with teases of Nuestro Himno.

    The mainstream media is increasingly attempting to shape and direct public opinion by seeking out stories with emotional content. When you hear that martial “War in Iraq” theme video clip on the nightly news, think of Orwell’s 1984. Patriotism is being sold just like fast food.

  • So, just because we have freedoms, doesn’t mean we should exercise them?

    Wow. Makes me want to burn a flag.

  • Given that new polls are showing the public is nowhere near the Republican Know-Nothings on the issue of immigration, let these fools go on with their public demonstrations of the fact that the word “Republican” is a strange word in a strange language that actually means “fuckingmoron.”

    Watching these people bleeding out from their self-inflicted large-caliber exit wounds is pretty damn funny.

  • Here’s my rant.

    None of the burgeoning references to the Congressional act establishing ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ as the National Anthem actually states the exact words of Congress. So far, it sounds like Congress specified Key’s explicit words/lyrics and the specific tune. That said, it’s probably an English specific reference unless someone knows otherwise.

    Secondly, the new Spanish tune is not ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ and, by extension, not the official National Anthem.

    We should all be happy that there are multiple language songs honoring this nation and also translations of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ so folks around the world know a bit about the American story…if they choose. However, we should be mindful of the words of Congress and the proverbial ‘rule of law’. This may come into play in the ‘Pledge of Allegiance’ debate or other matters of church-state separation.

  • Hey, as long as the republicans pick on Hispanics, they are reducing the number of Hispanics who will vote for them… and then it’s Democratic Texas, New Mexico, and a few other ‘Red’ states…

  • It is unpatriotic to sing anything else other than the original words!!

    Here they are, since most people have never actually heard them

    And hear it sung, literally breathtakingly (check out the last chorus)

    I much prefer the original– we all should be singing that instead.

  • goatchowder,

    I’d see the words before but never heard it sung. Outstanding links. Thanks.

    Chorus:
    And besides I’ll instruct you,
    Like me, to intwine
    The Myrtle of Venus
    With Bacchus’s Vine.

    • Comments are closed.