Reconsider opinion on national anthem

Regarding Bob Keeler's column about our national anthem ["Spangled with mixed feelings about the anthem," Opinion, Feb. 10]: This really hit the nail on the head. When you listen to many other nations' anthems, they are about the beauty of their nation. Not so "The Star-Spangled Banner."

As Keeler pointed out, it is a song depicting a mixed history on race, slaves and slave owners - the songwriter Francis Scott Key being a slave owner himself. Listen to "America the Beautiful" once - often sung in church - and that is a choice our country could proudly sing.

Anyone you ask about this agrees, and it should be put on the national agenda. It would not be unpatriotic if all the pros and cons were debated.

Nancy Firneisz

Center Moriches
 

I was quite appalled by Bob Keeler's column. I am a Vietnam veteran. Our national anthem has been challenged for years on its wording, and true, it is difficult to sing.

But when you consider the source of inspiration that the young author had for writing it - and the fact that he had not slept in close to 36 hours when he searched the dawn's early light to look to see if our flag over Fort McHenry was still flying - not one of the words is ill-spent. The War of 1812 was well into its second year on that fateful dawn, Washington had just fallen, and things did not look promising for the United States. It was not a popular conflict, quite similar to Vietnam. Many Americans referred to it disdainfully as "Mr. Madison's War." But that did not stop Key from realizing the special significance of the moment when he spotted the flag still flying that early morning amid the battle still raging in Chesapeake Bay.

As a nation, we can be grateful for his taking pen in hand to record the great sentiment he felt at that special moment in our young nation's history.

I hope Keeler will look at the national anthem with new eyes next time and forgo the trip to the hot dog stand.

Michael Filaseta

Hauppauge
 

I am deeply sorry for the loss of Bob Keeler's brother, who served his country in Vietnam. While the "madness" of Vietnam might truly be a blemish on our nation's history, the flag and the national anthem represent and speak to the greater elements of our nation.

The sacredness of our nation is no more than the ideals upon which it was founded. If it was founded on the biographies of men's lives, it would be sordid at best. Thomas Jefferson's ideals and authorship of the blueprint of America, the Declaration of Independence, are without blemish - not so his life as a man. Likewise, Francis Scott Key's words of beauty that reflect the ideals of "the land of the free and the home of the brave," are a testimonial to this nation, the longest living experiment in democracy, not Key the man.

I implore Keeler to listen to the ideals of what at this very moment millions of people are revolting for - to have a "land of the free" of their own.

Martin J. Brown

Malverne