Challenging compulsory patriotism -- on prime time!

[Kelley]

At 06:21 PM 2/10/02 -0500, Doug Henwood wrote:
>Chris Kromm wrote:
>
>>Not sure how many of you watched the NBA All Star game tonight, but a
>>remarkable thing happened. R&B singers Alicia Keyes and Angie Stone were
>>slated to sing "America the Beautiful" before the game. They started into
>>the song, but after about 6 bars, immediately shifted to singing "Lift Every
>>Voice and Sing," otherwise known as the Black National Anthem, written by
>>poet and civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson.
>>
>>After finishing that, they did go back to "American The Beautiful," but
>>changed the final chorus to: "America/And EVERYONE/God shed his grace on
>>thee."
>>
>>The crowd went wild.
>
>In an approving way, I hope. Which was it?
>
>Doug

there was no challenge to the underlying dynamic that creates patriotism, 
in any event. it's just patriotism reborn in a way people on the left will 
find palatable.

kelley