Clyburn's America's hymn proposal

[sun rise]

Here's another religion/politics mashup. I support Rep Clyburn's proposal. Yes there are those who object that it's only symbolic, but it would be a good symbol. It will probably bother some atheists, of course, but I hope not too much.

To help heal racial wounds, Black national anthem would become America's hymn under proposal

Clyburn, the House majority whip, plans to introduce a measure as early as this week that would make “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black national anthem, the national hymn and give it a special place alongside the country’s anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The lyrics are here: Lift Every Voice and Sing | The Poem and Song | Black History | PBS

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Why black? Why not native American? Or something that reflects the massive diversity that has always been here?
And why must we keep inserting religion, faith, and spirituality into what is supposed to be a secular state?
War songs make for crap anthems, but America is not a black and white issue. It's a rainbow of color and beliefs, and our mottos and songs should reflect this.

 

[metis]

Here's another religion/politics mashup. I support Rep Clyburn's proposal. Yes there are those who object that it's only symbolic, but it would be a good symbol. It will probably bother some atheists, of course, but I hope not too much.

To help heal racial wounds, Black national anthem would become America's hymn under proposal

Clyburn, the House majority whip, plans to introduce a measure as early as this week that would make “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black national anthem, the national hymn and give it a special place alongside the country’s anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The lyrics are here: Lift Every Voice and Sing | The Poem and Song | Black History | PBS

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

That was beautiful and, personally, I would be more pleased with a national anthem based on peace and love than on war, so what you suggest may at least be a step in that direction.

 

[Revoltingest]

Oh, boy....a separate anthem for blacks.
How about an atheist hymn....

Alternatively, "The Hand Of The Almighty"....

Spoiler: Profanity...a lot of profanity...& some blasphemy", then more profanity

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

..., but America is not a black and white issue.

And why not "All Lives Matter?"

The latent resistance is ever present, ever shameful, ...

 

[Shadow Wolf]

And why not "All Lives Matter?"

The latent resistance is ever present, ever shameful, ...

What's shameful is people acting like black people are the only ones repressed in America. I've never heard of reparations or any serious apologies for illegaly detaining Asain Americans during WWII. Hardly anything about the issues and problems facing Native Americans and the lack of access to resources and services they have. Hispanics and Latinos get crapped on throughout America. But yes, let's focus on one group instead.
And did you miss where I also pointed out we need to ditch the religious stuff? "Under god," after all, was added just as a means of division and amplifying differences in what is, Constitutionally, a secular state.
It's shameful when focus on one group takes precedence over acknowledging the massive spectrum of diversity that is America.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Oh, boy....a separate anthem for blacks.
How about an atheist hymn....

Alternatively, "The Hand Of The Almighty"....

Spoiler: Profanity...a lot of profanity...& some blasphemy", then more profanity

Reminds me of when Obama mentioned those who are Americans in his first inaugural speech. Him mentioning non-believers was such a big deal only because the American mentality makes it seem plausible Bush Sr. did say atheists aren't citizens.

 

[Revoltingest]

Reminds me of when Obama mentioned those who are Americans in his first inaugural speech. Him mentioning non-believers was such a big deal only because the American mentality makes it seem plausible Bush Sr. did say atheists aren't citizens.

George Bush on atheists as citizens or patriots
Excerpted....
Bush (Senr): No, I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.

To this day, when I testify in court, I must make a special request
to the judge for a secular oath, thereby divulging my heathen status.
They assume that everyone is a Christian or Jew.
This is so despite a huge Muslim presence in our very libreral community.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

George Bush on atheists as citizens or patriots
Excerpted....
Bush (Senr): No, I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.

To this day, when I testify in court, I must make a special request
to the judge for a secular oath, thereby divulging my heathen status.
They assume that everyone is a Christian or Jew.
This is so despite a huge Muslim presence in our very libreral community.

It's suspect and doubtful he actually said it.
Did George H. W. Bush Really Say Atheists Shouldn’t Be Considered Citizens?

It was August 27, 1987, and Sherman said the date was significant because “Mr. Bush had just announced his candidacy, one week earlier, for the nomination of his party for President.”

… Except that’s not true. Bush officially announced that he would run for president on October 12, 1987… more than a month after the press conference in question.
...
I suppose that exchange is plausible, but it shouldn’t have been hard to confirm. It was a public press conference, not some private meeting. There were other reporters there. There must have been audio and video, right? It shouldn’t have been difficult to find some corroboration.

And yet no other reporter ever confirmed the story, and no recording of the exchange ever came to light.

It also didn’t help that Sherman was known as a rabble-rouser. He loved media attention and he picked church/state separation fights that he knew would get coverage in local newspapers.

But, regardless if he said it or not, it does reflect an attitude many Americans have, and despite the Constitutional prohibition on tests of religious faith to hold office several states ban the unbeliever from holding office.
So, yes, let us further entrench the idea proper Americans must believe in some sort of personal deity.

 

[Revoltingest]

It's suspect and doubtful he actually said it.
Did George H. W. Bush Really Say Atheists Shouldn’t Be Considered Citizens?

But, regardless if he said it or not, it does reflect an attitude many Americans have, and despite the Constitutional prohibition on tests of religious faith to hold office several states ban the unbeliever from holding office.
So, yes, let us further entrench the idea proper Americans must believe in some sort of personal deity.

You can imagine my scorn for a government that wanted
to draft me go kill the "godless communists" in Vietnam.
Here I am, as godless as they get. And our President,
Nixon, was a Christian who pulled the commie stunt
of fixing wages & prices.
I soon became a registered non-patriot...or would
that be "unpatriot" (in the spirit of the Uncola)?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

You can imagine my scorn for a government that wanted
to draft me go kill the "godless communists" in Vietnam.
Here I am, as godless as they get. And our President,
Nixon, was a Christian who pulled the commie stunt
of fixing wages & prices.
I soon became a registered non-patriot...or would
that be "unpatriot" (in the spirit of the Uncola)?

That made you a sane amd rational patriot not blindly going along with an unconstitutional mandate of involuntary servitude.

 

[Revoltingest]

That made you a sane amd rational patriot not blindly going along with an unconstitutional mandate of involuntary servitude.

Nope...no patriot here.

 

[SomeRandom]

Why black? Why not native American? Or something that reflects the massive diversity that has always been here?
And why must we keep inserting religion, faith, and spirituality into what is supposed to be a secular state?
War songs make for crap anthems, but America is not a black and white issue. It's a rainbow of color and beliefs, and our mottos and songs should reflect this.

Do you guys sing it other languages?
We recently had ours sung in a “First Nations language” (Aboriginal) at a rugby match. It honestly sounded cool.
We also changed a lyric, from young and free to one and free, in the spirit of unity. Or so the politicians claim. I mean it was a nice gesture, if nothing else

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Do you guys sing it other languages?
We recently had ours sung in a “First Nations language” (Aboriginal) at a rugby match. It honestly sounded cool.
We also changed a lyric, from young and free to one and free, in the spirit of unity. Or so the politicians claim. I mean it was a nice gesture, if nothing else

Won't happen here. We have no official language yet many--very predominantly Republicans--detest the idea of speaking anything but English here and have tried to pass state laws that ban all languages but English in government buildings.
And Americans in general are widely and mostly monolingual.