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Tue 26 Apr, 2005 11:30 am
Good Morning America gave the statistic that 61% of Americans don't know the words to The Star Spangled Banner. Clearly this is a higher percentage than the number of non-english speaking Americans.
I found this interesting in light of the fact that any visit to middle America would lead one to conclude that the complexities American flag etiquette are well known and strictly adhered to.
Quote:When on display or carried in a procession with other flags, the flag should be positioned to its own right. Also, it should be placed to the right of a speaker or staging area, while other flags are placed to the left.
When the flag is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally from a window sill, balcony, or building, the stars of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half staff.
The flag should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states, localities, or societies are grouped for display.....
The flag should not be dipped to any person or thing, and can be flown upside down only as a distress signal.
The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. Bunting of blue, white, and red can be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of a platform, or for decoration in general.
The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a way that would allow it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged
More....
I guess patriotism offers partial memberships.
Re: 61% of Americans don't know words to National Anthem?
candidone1 wrote:Good Morning America gave the statistic that 61% of Americans don't know the words to The Star Spangled Banner. Clearly this is a higher percentage than the number of non-english speaking Americans.
I found this interesting in light of the fact that any visit to middle America would lead one to conclude that the complexities American flag etiquette are well known and strictly adhered to.
Quote:When on display or carried in a procession with other flags, the flag should be positioned to its own right. Also, it should be placed to the right of a speaker or staging area, while other flags are placed to the left.
When the flag is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally from a window sill, balcony, or building, the stars of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half staff.
The flag should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states, localities, or societies are grouped for display.....
The flag should not be dipped to any person or thing, and can be flown upside down only as a distress signal.
The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. Bunting of blue, white, and red can be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of a platform, or for decoration in general.
The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a way that would allow it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged
More....
I guess patriotism offers partial memberships.
With the ruling that burning the flag is free speech and with others tells people that being patriototic is bad is it any wonder that people don't know. When displaying the flag on a college campus is seen as being against foreign students, it's no wonder enough people don't know. Maybe if flag etiquette were taught in schools instead of multiculturalism crap children would grow up with a better understanding.
Yes, teaching kids "flag etiquette" should be an important priority in our schools.
Dude, I went to grade school in the '50s when we practiced ducking and rolling in case of Soviet attack. And they didn't even teach flag etiquette then...
We actually were taught flag etiquette in the school i attended in Eisenhower America. Which is why i always laugh to myself when i see those who want to be ostentatiously patriotic flying their flags at night, and in inclement weather--both clear violations of flag etiquette.
The words to The Star Spangled Banner are beautiful; it's the music that sucks.
I taught my students the words to the anthem as poetry, because that's what it is.
As for flag etiquette, I can't remember when I learned it, but I certainly know it now as I know all four verses to our anthem.
actually, the percentage not knowing the words to the anthem is probably closer to 100%, if you count all 4 verses. incidentally, the young person's novel, Nothing but the Truth, by Avi, is a clever fictional treatment of this subject.
The music to our National Anthem is, I believe, lifted from a British marching tune. How Patriotic.
Cycloptichorn
Patriotism is over rated ;-)
It's just more anecdotal evidence of how liberalism is infecting the minds of students these days.
(Not speaking about you, of course, Letty.)
That's something of a stretch, Tico.
Cycloptichorn
Tico, I also know the words to Battle Hymn of the Republic. <smile> sooooo, I am not only NOT a liberal, I'm also NOT a neocon.
Cycloptichorn wrote:That's something of a stretch, Tico.
Cycloptichorn
Perhaps ... but I'm flexible.
Yeah, right . . .
Let's see if we can follow the logic here . . . kids can't sing the national anthem and don't know flag etiquette . . . that's unpatriotic . . . what else is unpatriotic . . . Libruls ! ! ! Ipso fatso, sozyeroldman, Libruls are responsible for this potentially fatal flaw in our nation . . .
Burn her, she's a witch ! ! !
Re:
Setanta wrote:Yeah, right . . .
Let's see if we can follow the logic here . . . kids can't sing the national anthem and don't know flag etiquette . . . that's unpatriotic . . . what else is unpatriotic . . . Libruls ! ! ! Ipso fatso, sozyeroldman, Libruls are responsible for this potentially fatal flaw in our nation . . .
Burn her, she's a witch ! ! !
Not that big of a logical leap, Set.
I thought it was common knowledge that being libruhl means being un-patriotic.
substitute "hateful paranoia" for "knowledge," and i'll go along with that . . .
The origin of the tune to The Star Spangled Banner:
The gospel according to Steele: "It is a struggle to teach the ' Star-Spangled Banner' because it is hard to sing, and not very catchy in tune." In fact, the tune for the "Star-Spangled Banner" is set to a British gentlemen's drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven." The song originated in the late eighteenth-century.
McGentrix wrote:I thought it was common knowledge that being libruhl means being un-patriotic.
Not an absolute rule, but a good general rule. I'm sure there are notable exceptions ... perhaps even on this board.
Set wrote:substitute "hateful paranoia" for "knowledge," and i'll go along with that . . .
Identifying the fact that most liberals are against patriotism is
hateful paranoia? Are you seriously denying the truth of that sentiment?
Setanta wrote:substitute "hateful paranoia" for "knowledge," and i'll go along with that . . .
Yes, you seem to do that a lot... :wink:
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