When Words Collide, Sentences Form

Memorial Day & July 4th...ONLY

Why does Major League Baseball insist on playing God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch so many times, still? If it still has to be a part of baseball...then I say do it ONLY on Memorial Day and July 4th.

People accuse me of being unpatriotic because I get upset when "God Bless America" is played at baseball games now. On the contrary - I'm extremely patriotic. I love the National Anthem at sporting events, it is one of my favorite parts of being at a stadium and I get upset if I'm not in the park at my seat for that moment when I go to a game. I enjoy going into schools to talk and being there when they do the Pledge of Allegiance. I get tears in my eyes when I see stories about servicemen and women and their familes, etc. But here's my thing with "God Bless America" - it's not our national anthem or anything like the Pledge.

It was cool right after 9/11, it was patriotic, it was unifying and it made me proud to be an American when I was at a game and heard the whole stadium singing. But I'm no less proud of being American - I just think that life needs to go back to "normal" at some point in time. We don't still do stuff because of the loss of life at Pearl Harbor at every game. How many years before we stop playing "God Bless America" at every game?

I am also bothered when announcers say that you should stand up and remove your hat and face the flag during "God Bless America." I was taught in elementary school that you do that for the National Anthem and the Pledge. What is the protocol for "God Bless America?" Do you really HAVE to stand and remove your hat and face the flag???

And yes, I do realize that this infatuation with "God Bless America" started in my birth state of NY with my beloved Yankees...that still doesn't mean that I like it. And don't blame it on me because the Yankees started it and keep doing it! I'm just a Yankees fan...I didn't come up with this stupid idea.

posted by Steph @ 7:24 PM