I Find It Interesting....

...that with the number of immigrants who have come to this country "legally" from Korea and Italy and China and other countries around the world, none of them ever tried to rewrite the national anthem in their particular native language.  It's not until this country is overrun with "illegal" immigrants from Mexico that now we are faced with having to fight to keep the national anthem of this country in it's original form....the way it was written....in the language that was established for this country over 200 years ago. 

The spanish version of our nation's song was debuted on Ellis Island this weekend...and of course we got the usual.."this isnt political" bullshit....

"But the fact is that the worst thing you can do is make people leave their culture at the border, because that's not what made America great."

Singing a country's anthem in the language in which it was written and intended to be performed has absolutely nothing to do with making anyone leave their culture "at the border".  That is the biggest crock of crap I have ever heard....and all of you know it.

Would we sing France's anthem in Chinese?  Would we sing China's anthem in Italian?  Would we sing Italy's anthem in English?

NO....we wouldn't.

Leave our anthem alone.

Lisa

Comments

[catastrophile]

Um . . . Lisa, would you sing France's national anthem, or China's or Italy's, in any language?

What I find interesting is the notion that translating a song into another language constitutes an assault on America . . .

We've been "overrun" by immigrants for centuries, and I understand that it's perfectly normal for those of us who have been here 3+ generations and assimilated to go after those who haven't done so yet, but holding up the Star-Spangled Banner in Spanish as evidence that "they're taking over" is, frankly, just the goofiest thing I've ever seen.

Mexico (and, through Mexico, Latin America) is a neighbor and cultural trading partner of ours. We've been exporting culture there for a very long time now, and we've absorbed plenty as well. Somewhere around here I think I still have a copy of a Police single that was recorded in Spanish specifically for that market -- and we have our share of latin artists here. But somehow, in an election year, somebody recording the National Anthem in Spanish is suddenly the end of the world.

I mean, really . . .
http://www.thinkprogress.org/2006/05/02/spanish-anthem/

Are we actually supposed to believe that this is "suddenly" a big deal? Nonsense. It's an election year, and this is an issue that will drive turnout, the same way gay marriage and the Iraq war did in the last two election cycles.

[Lee]

Castrophile: great work. I sent the link to every xenophobe on my email list.

[Chris Sears]

I have sung this song. It is the best! It goes this way.....

Give me your tired, your poor,
Huddled masses yearning to breathe free
The wretched refuse of your teaming shore,

Send these, the homedlest, tempest tossed to me.'

I lift my lamp, beside the golden door.

[Chris Sears]

I meant - the homeless, tempest tossed.!!!

[Chris Sears]

The point is---- they want to be here, they want to be US!

[Lee]

Well, Lisa
Let's take your English only national Anthem Amendment to it's logical conclusion:
After years of debate and multimillion's in dollars spent for and against - It finally passes 2/3 of the States for ratification.
Keep in mind the same tiresome, expensive process would be necessary for a 'Protected marriage' and 'Anti-Flag Burning amendment(s) too.

Then so let's see if someone on Univision sings the now illegal Spanish version, would Univision get sued like CBS over the exposed breast incident?
Would The Anthem police raid the Univision studios, arresting everyone from the janitor to the can=mermen, to the singers, the C.E.O.'s?
Would sponsors of the program be arrested as co-conspirators?
Would cable and Satellite subscribers be liable for allowing the contraband song into their homes?
You van also tackle the penalties for burning whatever we can agree constitutes a U.S. Flag..Did you consider this when you took your 'irrational' position?
I say it with love. Lisa.

[bbbustard]

Sorry - but this is a totally phony issue. The U.S. Government, under the leadership of George W. Bush and Condoleeza Rice, posted the latest Spanish version of the anthem here (http://usinfo.state.gov/esp/home/topics/us_society_values/national_symbols/anthem_spanish.html
There have been versions floating around for decades, and Bush himself frequently sang it when running for President in 2000.
The crock of crap is being served up by anti-immigrant Republicans

[darwin]

bbbustard - "The crock of crap is being served up by anti-immigrant Republicans"

First - Just because Bush posted it doesn't mean a majority of Americans agree with it.

Second - Your phrase "anti-immigrant" is incorrect. Anti illegal alien........yes

I haven't heard anyone proclaim they are anti-immigrant. That's just a crock of crap being served up by pro-illegal democrats.

[Lee]

darwin(Little'D') says:

I haven't heard anyone proclaim they are anti-immigrant. That's just a crock of crap being served up by pro-illegal democrats.

Lee Responds:
The only pro-illegal crowd are the large combines, and the idle 'Nouveaux Riche' that hire illegal indentured servant labor at meager slave wages to pick their crops, or pluck their chickens; To clean their toilets, or mop their floors; To mow their lawns, or clean the algae out of their swimming pools, To 'nanny' their spoiled bratty children, or Serve their lawn parties.
All without health care,
retirement, or seniority benefits.
These are largely Republican 'Fat-cats'.

[Lee]

I doubt that any of the 'Anti-Spanish Language Version of the national Anthem' crowd is aware that there has been for decades a 'Negro National Anthem' written bu James Weldon at about the time of 'The Emancipation Proclamation;
The song is: "Lift Every Voice And Sing"

http://www.tnstate.edu/naacp/Our%20Anthem.htm

[Lee]

How many ways can you spell APARTHEID?

[darwin]

Lee striving to avoid the appearence of objectivity at all costs:

"the idle 'Nouveaux Riche' that hire illegal indentured servant labor ....................All without health care,
retirement, or seniority benefits.
These are largely Republican 'Fat-cats'."

health care, retirement and seniority benefits are not required by the US Constitution.

Secondly, no one is forcing anyone across the border to work.

Thirdly, many, many democrats and liberals are very, very wealthy people. Bill Gates is one, richest guy in the world. So trying to associate "money" with republicans doesn't wash. I'd dare say many of the businesses that hire illegals, especially in California are democrats, not republicans.

And lastly, why must you always lie and exaggerate to try and get your point across?

"illegal indentured servant labor"?

[darwin]

Lee: "How many ways can you spell APARTHEID?"

You're an idiot. Do you even know what that means? Does everything have to evolve around race for you? You know Lee, if you go live in africa, you wouldn't be a "minority" anymore. Then you couldn't use your sorry ass excuses.

[darwin]

Lee: "How many ways can you spell APARTHEID?"

You're an idiot. Do you even know what that means? Does everything have to evolve around race for you? You know Lee, if you go live in africa, you wouldn't be a "minority" anymore. Then you couldn't use your sorry ass excuses.

[Lee]

darwin(Little'D')('snip')..the idle 'Nouveaux Riche' that hire illegal indentured servant labor ....................All without health care,
retirement, or seniority benefits.
These are largely Republican 'Fat-cats'."

And add:
health care, retirement and seniority benefits are not required by the US Constitution.
me:

Lee cuts him down one-by-one:
I never said the US Constitution requires social benefits. But I defy any person to willingly give theirs up.
Of course in your 'pipe dream world workers have no rights, and sweat shops are ok with you.
d:
Secondly, no one is forcing anyone across the border to work.

Au contraire Mon frere!
1)
Disastrous economic conditions in Mexico and points south force these beleaguered peasants to risk life and limb in the scorching desert to get to the USA to find slave-type work.
2) The fact that the Fat-Cat employers will hire these poor souls without documentation so they can pay them near-slave wages, and avoid paying reasonable benefits,(that you feel NOONE DESERVES), also is is what forces them to come north.
You must be blind as well as dumb!
(and inhumanely cheap).
d:
Thirdly, many, many democrats and liberals are very, very wealthy people. Bill Gates is one, richest guy in the world. So trying to associate "money" with republicans doesn't wash.
Bill Gates doesn't run 'sweat Shops' and employ illegals.
His companies allow for upward advancement and better than average wages and benefits.
The Tyson Chicken crooks, et Alia are Conservatives.

[darwin]

Lee.....my advice to you is to read your posts over and over as you edit so you can clean out the 85% of the stuff that doesn't need to be in there. That way someone can figure out your point. If there is one.

[bbbustard]

Lisa, I can’t tell if you’re aware that you’re serving a crock of crap or not, but it is certain that crap is what you are serving.
1.You wrote that [No other immigrants] ”ever tried to rewrite the national anthem in their particular native language.” Some of the languages that The Library of Congress has versions of are Polish, French, Italian and Armenian. Of course it’s also been translated into Yiddish. The first Spanish version was catalogued into the Library in 1919. Where did you get your totally incorrect ingredients that you made into a crock? I hate to imagine where your source pulled them from.
2. You wrote of “the language that was established for this country over 200 years ago.” No language was "established" for this country. This is another Crock.
3. You would like to be perceived as supporting the Constitution. So why do you think that the founding fathers declared no national language?
4. “I haven't heard anyone proclaim they are anti-immigrant.” More Crap. Total Crap. And worse, you prepared this dish yourself. If Bush issued an Amnesty Proclamation that declared all of these people legal – you’d have no problem with them?

Most Americans can’t sing the National Anthem in ANY language.

[Lee]

I kinda like Jose Feliciano's and Jimi Hendrix's versions of the National Anthem myself.