Opuscula Whose NationalAnthem?

ACCORDING TO THIS MORNING’S TV “NEWS,” THE Black National Anthem will be heard before each basketball and football game.

I may be simple, but for a national anthem to be played at a sporting event, the anthem

* must have a nation

* one of the contestants (teams) must represent that nation.

America does it all the time when a Canadian team comes south. The Canadians likewise play the U.S. national anthem when a U.S. team plays north of the border. The U.S. also does this when (most) foreign dignitaries visit.

 

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF “black” nations, or, more correctly, nations in which black people are the majority or in control.

As a matter of fact, the U.S. acquired land¹ for the American Colonization Society (ACS) that intended the land as a new home for freed black slaves. The land became the nation of Liberia.

There ARE a number of predominately black-populated states, mostly in Africa south of the Sahara Desert, commonly referred to as the “sub-Saharan Africa.” The term has been criticized by late Professor Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe, on Pambazuka as being a racist word ²

For all that, blacks always have been a minority in the United States, ergo, the U.S., by definition, cannot be considered a “black nation” and the Black National Anthem is inappropriate at best and racist at worst.

U.S. absorbs, integrates people from around the world

The U.S. has successfully integrated peoples from many different countries with different ethno­ cultures, and different races. The Black National Anthem is just the opposite; it is intended to divide people.

The WORDS³ to the so-called Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing, are linked from the Black Culture Collection web site, are exclusionary.

The words also are a bit confusing; the last stanza reads:

May we forever stand.

True to our God,

True to our native land

If the Black National Anthem is referring to the U.S. as “our native land,” then why are so many blacks supporting organizations that want to destroy the U.S.?

If the Black National Anthem is referring to the lands from which their ancestors were abducted — by fellow blacks and sold to Muslim traders who eventually sold them to slavers — then perhaps another American Colonization Society is needed to help blacks return to their “native land.”

Before anyone claims this is racist, consider that some countries provide relocation assistance to encourage people to settle there. Educated American blacks probably would be welcome in “black Africa” for their knowledge and abilities.

Some people, such as African American Dr. Obadele Kambon⁴ relocated to Ghana in 2008.

The Condé Nast Traveler web site ⁵ includes an article For Black Americans, Moving Abroad Has a Different Appeal that suggests blacks are able to relocate to a number of countries. Ghana, has an open invitation for Africa’s displaced descendants to visit “home.”

If Africa is not a person’s “cup of tea,” there are many other countries that welcome Americans.

I don’t know if it’s fair, but do other countries encourage and welcome uneducated blacks?

Do other nations offer less, the same as, or more opportunity than the U.S.?

(And if the U.S. is so bad, why do people clamor to cross the border and work towards citizenship? Illegals come to America because Americans employ them at sub-standard wages for jobs Americans deign to do.)

Not easy to sing but also not divisive

Granted, the U.S. National Anthem is hard to sing and, sometimes, painful to hear some artist interpretations. For all that, it IS the United States national anthem and it is the ONLY “national anthem” that should be played at an intra-country event, e.g., NY Yankees vs. The LA (nee New York) Giants, the Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

I would vote to replace the U.S. National Anthem with something more “sing-able.” America the Beautiful is nice.

I used to love sports.

Now, when a game comes on the tube, I change channels or pick up a book.

I quit watching football when the players started “taking a knee” during the anthem.

Freedom of speech is one thing; disrespecting country and fellow citizens is another.

You want to protest, do it off the clock and off the field/court/diamond, whatever.

Playing the Black National Anthem, either before or after the U.S. National Anthem may make a few BLMers rejoice, but I suggest that it could turn a number of people into unwilling racists.

If a group is bullied long enough — and that is what Black Lives Matter is doing to anyone daring to disagree or even suggest that ALL lives matter — the bullied person/people eventually will have enough and respond in kind.

Black Lives DON’T Matter

It is patently obvious that Black Lives DO NOT Matter to the people behind BLM.

If black lives mattered, then the black-on-black murders — often of innocent children and seniors — would:

Cease; drive-bys and casual shootings would be a thing of the past

The streets would be crowded with people protesting, albeit not destroying, black-on-black crime

There would be demands to support the police and fund additional police

Governors would be forced to “call out the Guard” to put down insurrection

Unfortunately, this is not the case.

If black lives mattered,, BLM leaders would tell their followers to obey the cops’ orders. It’s better to spend a night in jail than eternity in a grave. Besides, an illegally arrested person might sue the cops and the cop’s municipality for “Big Bucks.

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Sources

1. Liberia: https://tinyurl.com/y23xcr2q

2. Sub-Sahara: https://tinyurl.com/d2cpeuf

3. Anthem words: https://tinyurl.com/yh2yr4tt

4. Dr. Kambon: https://tinyurl.com/y2w3ouax

5. Condé Nast:https://tinyurl.com/y43edrqh

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

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Opuscula This is the new American anthem?

ACCORDING TO A USA TODAY¹ release,

Starting with the nationally televised regular-season opener between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 10, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,”² also known as the Black national anthem, will be performed before every Week 1 kickoff, before "The Star-Spangled Banner," according to a person familiar with ongoing discussions. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because plans have not yet been finalized and announced by NFL officials. (Emphasis mine)

TIMES THEY ARE A’CHANGIN’

The Associated Press (AP), the “final authority” for many in the media, has by fiat determined that black, when used in conjunction with people of color must be initial capital³, at least for “black.” I will assume that “brown” must have an initial capital as well.

BUT, per the AP, “white” is lower case, small “w.”

I suspect AP will make an exception when “white” precedes the word “extremists” to emphasize the (lack of) color of these particular extremists.

The AP article notes that

“Not having a capital letter has felt disrespectful,” said David Lanham, director of communications for the Brooking Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program. “There is a shared cultural identity with Black Americans and that goes through our shared experiences. That also goes to the lack of geographic history as a result of slavery.”

I don’t mind the change to initial cap for black people, but I DO object to the selectiveness of AP’s fiat — let each individual racial attribute be capitalized: Black, Brown, Red* White, Yellow*.

* Both “Red” and “Yellow” are incorrectly applied to American Indians and Orientals.

AP needs to capitalize Bi-Sexual (two capitals!), Gay, as in homosexual men, vs. happy people, Lesbian, Queer, Transvestite and Tranny (vs. “tranny” as slang for a transmission). How it intends to capitalize “?” could be a major problem for AP.

Straight people, that is, anyone who is other than in an LGBTQ? category can remain lower case. No one cares, anyway.

By the way, will someone please explain why homosexual males are “gay” (OK, ‘Gay’) while homosexual females are Lesbians? Are all the women from the Isle of Lesbos lesbians?⁴

 

Back to the anthem

Since the Democrats lost the election in 2016, the country has been driven asunder.

Leftists on one extreme, White (it’s my blog, I capitalize what I want) Nationalists on the other extreme.

Rather than civil discussion of differences — differences can be good — we have become a nation of screamers. Once tolerant of differences, we now are intolerant bigots, hate mongers.

So, if the USA Today article is correct — and as a former print journalist I will take a “wait and see” stance — and the “black” national anthem is to be played/sung BEFORE the Start Spangled Banner, can we next expect a Black Power flag to fly ABOVE Old Glory?

That may be a rhetorical question: Can those who so hate America, who want to destroy the good with the bad, come to terms with each other long enough to create a pennant?

Black Power.

Democrat,

Rainbow.

Most Americans, those who are born in the USA and those who came here for one reason or another, legal immigrants and illegal immigrants alike, believe America still is a better place to live, to improve their lives, than almost anyplace else on the planet. If anyone in America disagrees with this, they can leave; go anyplace that will have them. Unlike totalitarian countries, unless a person is a wanted criminal, he or she may leave the country at any time for any place that will accept them.

There are more than 51 — FIFTY ONE — countries with Muslim populations of 50% or more.⁵

There are 51 — FIFTY ONE — African states with predominately black regimes. ⁶

As it happens, white (White?) Americans, including future presidents James Monroe and Andrew Jackson were among the members of the American Colonization Society formed to create a nation for free blacks to return to Africa. This was 50 years before the U.S. would abolish slavery. Over the next three decades, the society secured land in West Africa and shipped people to the colony, which became the nation of Liberia in 1847.⁷

Lincoln actively pursued a re-colonization well after signing the Emancipation Proclamation. ⁸

According to 2014 estimates, more than 3,000 African-Americans and people of Caribbean descent live in Ghana, a country of about 26 million people.  Ghana welcomes the immigrants.⁹

According to the BBC¹⁰

Having vowed to quit the US after being the victim of what he believed was a racially motivated arrest by police officers, African American Obadele Kambon relocated to Ghana in 2008 - and has never looked back.

Dr Kambon has now built a successful life in the place that was once at the heart of the slave trade, and enjoys the freedom which, he says, was denied to him in the US, his birthplace.

Bottom line A Black or Muslim who finds life in America unsatisfactory, has many options to relocate. Leftists — Communists and Socialists, a/k/a “progressives” — likewise have many counties that would welcome them.¹¹

India’s Bollywood might welcome Hollywood’s malcontents; the people who promised — then failed to deliver — that if this or that person won an election, they would leave the country. Unfortunately that was a lie; they still are here fomenting dissension and sowing hatred wherever they find fertile ground such as colleges.

There is no “perfect” society.

A totalitarian government would suit people who are blind to other’s opinions. For them, egalitarianism is extended to those who either believe as they believe or who are subservient to their wishes — slaves and illegals who do their master’s bidding in silence.

Democracy, which America almost has, is for people who are able to civilly discuss issues; who can come to a consensus or compromise that is acceptable — even grudgingly — to all concerned.

If someone wants to play a so-called “black national anthem” they can do it AFTER the U.S.’ National anthem. As far as I know, the U.S. is NOT a “black nation” to have a “black national anthem.” The U.S. is a nation of many people, all of whom bleed red.

Frankly, for my part I would prefer a number of singable songs in lieu of Mr. Key’s effort. Key is unacceptable to “progressive” blacks since he owned slaves in Maryland.¹² God Bless America (except this offends atheists), America the Beautiful, or Woody Guthrie’s This land is your land would be my picks. Mr. Guthrie, to the best of my knowledge, never owned slaves. (Wouldn’t Guthrie’s song “rock the stadiums.”)

America has had a good run. But like Rome, ancient Greece, England, the former Soviet Union, and all the rest, its time may have arrived.

If civil discourse cannot be resumed, if people continue to disrupt normal life and, worse, riot and destroy properties in their own neighborhoods, I fear for the nation.

I would not want to be 20 years old again.

 

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Sources

1. USA Today: https://tinyurl.com/y9yarrj3

2. Black anthem: https://tinyurl.com/yh2yr4tt

3. AP fiat: https://tinyurl.com/ybr7onnd

4. Lesbians and Lesbos: https://tinyurl.com/yarbrm2g

5. Muslim controlled countries: https://tinyurl.com/yam352ly

6. Black controlled countries: https://tinyurl.com/uafymqm

7. Liberia: https://tinyurl.com/yd9yrvfx

8. Lincoln: https://tinyurl.com/y2r78yd7

9. Ghana: https://tinyurl.com/ycnco7rn

10. BBC: https://tinyurl.com/y2w3ouax

11. Places for “progressives”: https://tinyurl.com/ooc6efa

12. Key: https://tinyurl.com/yan8dop8

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Web sites (URLs) beginning https://tinyurl.com/ are generated by the free Tiny URL utility and reduce lengthy URLs to manageable size.

 

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