10-04-2016, 06:54 PM
(10-04-2016, 03:11 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: You just don't sing it. It's considered respectful to be quiet as it is sung, with no hat on, and your hand over your heart.
Do you know why it is that way in the US?
I've always thought the idea of an anthem was to bring people together and nothing says unity like belting out a tune with 80,000 other people. For example, the french national anthem (La Marseillaise) acquired its name after being sang by a group of volunteers marching to Paris during the time of the French Revolution.
The US way seems more like individual pride and respect for an external entity (the USA) rather than collective belonging to a shared ideal. Perhaps with the way the individual states work this is actually a fair description - do "Americans" actually identify more with their towns/families/churches/states than with the federal nation as a whole?
