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Read other letters about this article
Boy, do I beg to differ with Salon and the majority of respondents:
I'm an independent,and proud of it. I do not subscribe to the far left or the far right--I'm somewhere in the middle, as are most Americans. Why do you think that we feel the way we do about changing the lyrics of the song?? Translating it into Spanish is one issue, but changing the lyrics is another, and that is what the new version has done. Yes, the melody is hard to sing, but the words are the power behind our ballad. Have you read the history behind the song? Here, take a minute: http://www.chiggerridge.com/mailbox/national_anthem.htm
These words are part of our history, the same history that has taken us to this point in time. Warts and all, this is still the country that people will break laws in order to enter. How would you readers feel if I went into Mexico (or wherever) illegally, then edited their national anthem to suit my purposes? To do so would be an insult to them and their culture.
Is it just a song? Nope, just like the Mona Lisa is not just a painting.
