Hey guys. Haven't posted in forever, so here you goes:
Today I shall be discussing the Chief's 9/11 ceremony
Sometime later this week I'll be making a funny post about genuinely creepy wax sculptures. Oh, and I might throw in some random bits of stuff in there too (surprised?) xD
So for today imma start with some rather srs stuff, but have no fear, there will be funny-ness later on.
It's a common occurrence around here.
At baseball games, football games, all kinds of events, where our beautiful anthem is sang. Everybody stands at attention, often looking at our flag. Hands on hearts. Silent, or singing along. Hats off. My thoughts drift to Iraq and Afghanistan. To the POWs, to the MIA and KIA.
Everyone is respectful.
But every once in a while, some moron is making noise or doing something stupid.
And what do we do?
Sometimes others tell them to stop. Often they will get ugly glares shot at them. I guess what I'm getting at here is: disrespect is frowned upon. Most of the population believes its wrong to act this way during our anthem, wouldn't dare acting like such an ignorant fool. It's like a spit in the face to our military, our country, who may have economic troubles, who may no longer be under a president they believe in but still- we are American.
And our anthem, of all things, should be respected.
So tell me WHY every time, when the last lines are being sung out, reaching "O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave...", a pause, then: "O’er the land of the freeeeeeeee...." and finally, the last line, the one we know so well- "and the home of the-" "CHIEFS!"
Whoa, whoa, wait a minute there!
Chiefs? What happen to "brave"? What happened to the last word? Why do I hear a deep voiced roar of guys hooting out our football team's name?
And why is this accepted?Why is it not considered as disrespectful as replacing "O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave!" with "O! say does that Lee's Summit West banner yet wave"?
Let me take you back 2 days. The tenth anniversary of September 11th. Four A-10s took off from the Whitman, and over our house, like they always do en route to the Chief's opening day.
Dane flicked on the TV. The stadium was jam packed with a sea of red.
A massive flag, covering the whole field, rippling in the wind, held up by hundreds of people. A military officer playing a slow, beautiful, and very sad "Taps" on his bugle. David Cook- remember that local kid? (formerly Kamryn's neighbor, you know)- that went on to win American idol, sang our anthem amazingly. As he reached the final lines, I held my breath.
The Chief's own stadium was always the worst culprit. Surely they wouldn't do it on 9/11!
"Gave prooooof through the night, that our flag was still there.....
O, say does that star-spangled banner yeeeeeet wave....
O’er the land of the freeeeeeeeeee....."
David Cook smiled broadly at the camera,
"and the home.....
of the.....
braaaaaaaaaave!"
Guess what? I didn't hear a SINGLE MENTION OF THE CHIEFS. All I heard was that last word ring through the stadium, the word that represents the courage of the american people, of our military, from the Revolution to the World Wars to Vietnam to today in Baghdad, a word so small but so important.
The A-10s roared overhead like eagles. The crowd whistled and clapped, then began to chant "USA! USA! USA!". I'm not touchy-feely, but it brought tears to my eyes. I was so grateful I lived to a nation where I am free.
I was so proud to be American.
And then I realized later on what a shame it all was.
Remember 9/11? Remember how America was brought together? Sure, I was young, but I remember. The unity felt so strong. The patriotism, the pride, the compassion complete strangers showed to each other, it felt so good. Millions of hearts ached for the 3000 dead. It took a tragedy to bring us together, a tragedy so heartbreaking, we still feel that united feeling every September.
When that bugle played, silence. Attention. Hands on hearts. Hats off. Respect.
When David Cook sang, thousands sang with him. Hands on hearts. Hats off. Some had tears streaming down their faces.
I feel it every year. 9/11 always feels like a strange gravity shift. Always feel myself looking at the clock, remembering what times the planes hit, thinking about the thousands whose lives changed in a single morning. The day always feels quiet and somber as our nation looks back on the grief and terror.
But why? Why do our flags go down to half-mast only on Memorial day, 9/11 and occasionally when a Kansas City soldier, policemen or firefighter is killed? (Which I'm not saying is a bad thing- it's important to honor, to not forget.)
But soldiers are killed every day, like the 30+ that went down in a plane about a month ago. In this war, and the same days in past wars for our freedom. Every single day of the year I can guarantee you an American soldier has died some time in history and more likely than we'd like to think, recently. I'm the kind of person the values honoring a death the same, no matter how much time has passed- a dead WW1 soldier should be as respected as a soldier killed yesterday.
I can't change everything. I know people would think it would be stupid to leave flags at a permanent half mast. Who would want to see American's flag never flying high, only hanging it's head?
OK, so let's take this back into context to our Star Spangled Banner dilemma.
It has been established that it is NOT okay to say "chiefs" at the end of our anthem on 9/11.
So why is okay just about the other 364 days of the year?
EVERY DAY we should think about those who have died for us.
EVERY DAY we should honor our country, no matter what our political views.
And it shouldn't take a tragedy for us to realize this.
Thank you for reading- and next time you find yourself bracing for the end of our anthem, remind those around you that a seemingly small, silly act is not small and silly. It's an insult.
That pride for one's crappy football team should never eclipse pride of one's nation, especially one like ours, whom so much blood has been shed to keep safe.
O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the BRAVE!Goodnight
~Lily
