Thursday, July 3, 2008

Rene Marie and the Black National Anthem

The issue:

A jazz singer shocked some Denver residents after replacing the words to the national anthem with those of the "Black National Anthem" during the annual State of the City address this week.

Rene Marie was asked to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper delivered the annual address on Tuesday. Instead, she sang the lyrics of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" — a hymn commonly referred to as the "Black National Anthem" — to the tune of the national anthem, MyFOXColorado.com reported.

"If anyone has got a right to be angry it's probably me," Hickenlooper told the station. "I guess what I feel most is just deeply disappointed."

The mayor said only Marie, her husband and a musical adviser knew what the local jazz singer had in mind.

"What she said was that she was very sorry, that she meant no disrespect, that she was trying to make a creative expression of her love for the country," Hickenlooper said.

I wonder how it would go over if I tried to make a creative expression of my love for the country by singing a hymn referred to as the "White National Anthem." No disrespect intended, of course.

By the way, is there a "White National Anthem"? I don't think so.

Someone should write one, a respectful, creative expression of love for America.

Nothing would say love of country like a "White National Anthem." The thought of it makes me well up with pride.


Who says the United States have to be united?

E Pluribus Pluribus

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