Is the Anthem a racist song????

[dank69]

Everything if racist if you look at it the right way.

Nothing is racist if you look at it the right way.

 

[WelshBloke]

But almost every national anthem has dodgy verses, because they are mostly old, and most things were worse in the past - most countries seem to deal with it by pretending the dodgy bits don't exist, helped by the fact that nobody ever remembers more than one verse anyway, before lapsing into dum-dee-dum-dee-dum-something-something.

 

[BurnItDwn]

No, it's not a racist song.

Yes, to every lefty everything is racist except them.

I do not think you are racist. I just think you are a fake troll.

 

[hal2kilo]

When the Star Spangled Banner was chosen America the Beautiful was an alternate choice. Compare the 2 lyrics. Maybe time for a change?

Still has God in it.

 

[Ichinisan]

"land of the free."

 

[CZroe]

I read it as him contrasting those conscripted to fight for the British as "hirelings or slaves" since they aren't fighting as free men for "the land of the free/brave." He's saying that British soldiers who aren't paid to fight are slaves to their oppressive government. It doesn't sound like he's celebrating the death of traitorous American slaves and I feel like you have to intentionally delude yourself to read it that way.

 

[OutHouse]

I read it as him contrasting those conscripted to fight for the British as "hirelings or slaves" since they aren't fighting as free men for "the land of the free/brave." He's saying that British soldiers who aren't paid to fight are slaves to their oppressive government. It doesn't sound like he's celebrating the death of traitorous American slaves and I feel like you have to intentionally delude yourself to read it that way.

this is how i have viewed it, i have never thought he was celebrating the death of black slaves. so no i do not find the anthem racist.

but hey let keep the "finding racism under every rock" witch hunt continue. its amusing.

 

[Drako]

Just mentioning the word "slave" automatically makes it racist to some.

 

[CZroe]

The simple mention of soldiers for hire in the same breath makes it pretty clear that he's explaining their loyalty to Britain in the face of defeat/death, not admonishing traitorous slaves. The mental gymnastics to think otherwise are laughable and pathetic.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

The simple mention of soldiers for hire in the same breath makes it pretty clear that he's explaining their loyalty to Britain in the face of defeat/death, not admonishing traitorous slaves. The mental gymnastics to think otherwise are laughable and pathetic.

^ This.

Reading comprehension is hard for the mentally depraved.

 

[theeedude]

I mean it's a war, of course he enjoyed his opponents getting slaughtered, especially since he got his ass kicked hard by them before.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

"land of the free."

Home of the brave.

 

[1sikbITCH]

shocking, simply shocking that you'd see it this way.

These white power folks feel that white people are the only "humans" so everyone else is like a dog or whatever. When they say No it's not racist it's because they view blacks as a different species. Helps them sleep at night.

 

[pmv]

The simple mention of soldiers for hire in the same breath makes it pretty clear that he's explaining their loyalty to Britain in the face of defeat/death, not admonishing traitorous slaves. The mental gymnastics to think otherwise are laughable and pathetic.

Not really, as it turns out. Seems like the risible gymnastics are more on your side.

Digging up this thread because I didn't realise before that the anthem was specifically related to 1812 and the US attempt to invade Canada. And in that event the British very specifically encouraged slave uprisings to join and fight alongside the British/Canadian troops. Some liberated slaves joining the British in burning down the Whitehouse.

To me, the fact that those lines were written immediately after that event, makes it a _lot_ clearer what the 'slaves' being referred to were. Namely, slaves, or former ones at least.

But do continue with your gymnastics.

 

[J.Wilkins]

1. It seems somewhat racist to me. The reference to slaves presumably does mean black people held as such, given the context that (in his first drafts of the Declaration of Independence) Jefferson simultaneously tried to blame the British for the institution of slavery, _and_ complained about the British inciting slaves to revolt against the colonial rebels.

But almost every national anthem has dodgy verses, because they are mostly old, and most things were worse in the past - most countries seem to deal with it by pretending the dodgy bits don't exist, helped by the fact that nobody ever remembers more than one verse anyway, before lapsing into dum-dee-dum-dee-dum-something-something.

2. Every rightist thinks nothing is racist unless it's directed at them.

That's why I prefer Rule Britannia over our national anthem.

Nothing dodgy about that.

 

[NAC4EV]

The mere mention of "slave" is not entirely remarkable; slavery was alive and well in the United States in 1814. Key himself owned slaves, was an anti-abolitionist and once called his African brethren "a distinct and inferior race of people."

Key was, in fact, taking pleasure in the deaths of freed black slaves who had fought with the British against the United States.

 

[J.Wilkins]

The mere mention of "slave" is not entirely remarkable; slavery was alive and well in the United States in 1814. Key himself owned slaves, was an anti-abolitionist and once called his African brethren "a distinct and inferior race of people."

Key was, in fact, taking pleasure in the deaths of freed black slaves who had fought with the British against the United States.

So in essence, the people who went over on the mayflower were purists that couldn't oppress others in England and wanted to do that so much that they emigrated to America where they burned and hung people for being of the wrong religion. Once everyone was of the same religion they moved on to witches while they slaughered the natives and imported lesser beings according to their newly formed constitution which stated that black people were only 3/5ths humans.... Skip forward to the 1970's when black people and women got all rights of white men... almost...

Oh wait, in the meantime you murdered hundreds of thousands of civilians for no other reason than to test a nuke in a populated area...

Good old US, if there is a right way to do it... you won't.

 

[realibrad]

So in essence, the people who went over on the mayflower were purists that couldn't oppress others in England and wanted to do that so much that they emigrated to America where they burned and hung people for being of the wrong religion. Once everyone was of the same religion they moved on to witches while they slaughered the natives and imported lesser beings according to their newly formed constitution which stated that black people were only 3/5ths humans.... Skip forward to the 1970's when black people and women got all rights of white men... almost...

Oh wait, in the meantime you murdered hundreds of thousands of civilians for no other reason than to test a nuke in a populated area...

Good old US, if there is a right way to do it... you won't.

Lol WTF?

We murdered hundreds of thousands of civilians to test nukes and that was the only reason eh?

 

[IronWing]

So in essence, the people who went over on the mayflower were purists that couldn't oppress others in England and wanted to do that so much that they emigrated to America where they burned and hung people for being of the wrong religion. Once everyone was of the same religion they moved on to witches while they slaughered the natives and imported lesser beings according to their newly formed constitution which stated that black people were only 3/5ths humans.... Skip forward to the 1970's when black people and women got all rights of white men... almost...

Oh wait, in the meantime you murdered hundreds of thousands of civilians for no other reason than to test a nuke in a populated area...

Good old US, if there is a right way to do it... you won't.

Lessons in civility from a Brit, priceless.

 

[J.Wilkins]

Lessons in civility from a Brit, priceless.

Indeed, we have admitted our faults, done good for our imperialism and helped shape nations through helping them as much as possible.

We dealt with our past by admission and help, the US has dealt with their past by falsifying every single notion about the nation.

So indeed, it's priceless words that you would do well to learn from, Canadian.

 

[J.Wilkins]

Lol WTF?

We murdered hundreds of thousands of civilians to test nukes and that was the only reason eh?

Yes, you were presented with a peace treaty that you rejected because it did not include the Emperor stepping down, nuked them and called the same fucking treaty a "full surrender" while they still kept their Emperor.

You may argue that you just felt that you had done such a horrible thing towards them that you had to accept it after nuking them but in reality... You just nuked them for no reason what so ever, they had already surrendered everything but the emperor.

This is what I'm talking about, Americans don't learn this shit in school, you are taught how you valiantly saved lives by nuking Japan, how the puritans escaped British oppression and so on and none of it is true, not even a little bit.

 

[zinfamous]

I just always thought it was a stupid, sophomoric poem (it isn't really a song, and was never meant to be sung, which is why it sounds so ridiculous and nearly every singer hates singing it), and should be replaced with America the Beautiful.

 

[Victorian Gray]

I just always thought it was a stupid, sophomoric poem (it isn't really a song, and was never meant to be sung, which is why it sounds so ridiculous and nearly every singer hates singing it), and should be replaced with America the Beautiful.

I like this one

This Land Is Your Land
Words and Music by Woody Guthrie

This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and Me.

As I was walking that ribbon of highway,
I saw above me that endless skyway:
I saw below me that golden valley:
This land was made for you and me.

I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts;
And all around me a voice was sounding:
This land was made for you and me.

When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:
This land was made for you and me.

As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?

Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.

 

[zinfamous]

I was going to suggest that too, but the raging bedwetters would yell "commie!" all over the thread.

 

[Victorian Gray]

I was going to suggest that too, but the raging bedwetters would yell "commie!" all over the thread.

fuck 'em