Dennis Thomas: Anthem’s notation of slavery out of place in 21st century
How many times have you stood up for the “Star Spangled Banner?” Too many times to remember probably. Now, some people are upset because some people are not standing. Well, we have a problem with the Banner. Francis Scott Key, who wrote it, was a slave owner. He was a staunch proponent of African colonization and a strong critic of the anti-slavery movement. Most people know the first verse but, there are four verses. The third verse is vile:
“That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more
Their blood has wash’d out their foul footsteps pollution
No refuge could save the hireling and SLAVE
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave
And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
Isn’t it time we replace this with something more uplifting like “America The Beautiful”? The issues of slavery still exist. They are apart of our history. But we are better than this. Let us be more uplifting and positive of our future
Dennis Thomas, Modesto
This story was originally published October 17, 2016 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Dennis Thomas: Anthem’s notation of slavery out of place in 21st century."