Why Doesn Everyone Know the Words to Our National Anthem?
People seem to have lost respect for the symbols of our great country, and we are willing to watch these once important expressions of unity slip away. As a pre-boomer, I learned the stories behind the things that were sacred to all Americans. Growing up in Philadelphia stimulated my interest in this nation’s history. I was, and still am, proud to be an American. The other day, at a sporting event, the national anthem was played, replete with a color guard and an outstanding tenor belting out the words of the Star Spangled Banner. It sent a chill up my spine. I sang the words and stood erect with my right hand over my heart, as I had done countless times before. My eyes scanned across the crowd, and what I saw disappointed me. Few in attendance had their hands over their hearts. Fewer still were standing in a respectful manner. And fewer yet were making any attempt to sing the words written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812. Instead people were running up and down the aisles
