One of the most controversial anthems was done by Jose Feleciano before a World Series game in Detroit in 1968. At the time it was widely panned but now it's a very famous and well looked upon version.

Be careful how quick you are to condemn something, it might just be a classic one day.

I could care less about any anthem, but that doesn't mean I don't understand why people are upset over a Spanish-language version (which by the way isn't the United States national anthem translated into spanish but a different song altogether). Now that I said I understand and repect people's feelings over the National anthem and all things red, white and blue please allow me the option of not siging the song, putting my hand over my heart or standing to pledge alegence to the flag.

A Spanish-language version of the National Anthem was commissioned and became official in 1919?

That Bush himself sang the national Anthem in Spanish several times during the 2000 election campaign?

This is pandering, pure and simple, and it's a way for Republicans to skirt the real issue, which is how to process 11 million people who are in the country illegally, and how to keep another 11 million from streaming into the country from all over the world. It also begs the question about security; if this many hard-working, otherwise law-abiding foreigners were able to come here, presumably undetected, who else has been able to come here?

Milt Shook

To assume that no one (or no American) should care that their National Anthem be sung in Spanish is an outrage and very offending. I'm a Southern Democrat (with more northern ideologies), but this whole immigration thing is absolutely offensive. Wycleff Jean just put that out as a publicity stunt and also to sell it. He does not really care, he's a musician and needs money.

Saying that having our (The United States) National Anthem in Spanish is an insult to the founders of our country and the situation surrounding its (The Anthems) founding. For one this American will be damned if he ever allows his children to be forced to sing the Anthem in Spanish or have this policy applied to him in any way. I'm an American and my national language is English. If you want to have your kids sing the National Anthem in Spanish grab a compass and walk south until you see a sign that says "Bienvenidos a Mexico."

This is the most insulting article I have ever read on this website and you all usually have material that addresses my concerns, for shame.

Call me crazy, but the question asked in the survey doesn't seem to get at what the survey taker meant. I bet the majority of respondents were considering that question in the context of moments of official state business. Essentially, nobody cares how people want to sing it most of the time but when we're singing it at the Olympics or we're singing it at the Inauguration or other times when the country is 'on display', people want to hear it in English. With that caveat, the answers make a lot more sense. Many many many people like the tradition the way we currently practice it. Why would they want to change?

I really don't think that 70% of Americans are ligua-phobes. Isn't this just another excuse for a wedge issue?

For a 40 year old version of the national anthem that is everything about language and nothing about language, I have two words for you: Jimi Hendrix.

If we played Mr. Hendrix's version for several days in a row, these anal retentive types would probably tighten up so much that all the other parts of the body would start floating and would demonstrate why the asshole is always in charge. And then maybe they'd have an apoplectic fit and then we'd have a chance to get someone with two brains to rub together in office.

Since at least my own high school days, Latin students have been learning and reciting the Latin version of the pledge of allegiance. You'll find a grammatically accurate version here (there are a lot of really bad ungrammatical versions floating around as well):

http://www.mythfolklore.net/harriuspotter/supp/misc.htm

What's next, will Bill O'Reilly start one of his jihads against the Junior Classical League, and vow to bring horror into the lives of anyone who says the Pledge of Allegiance in anything but Ammurrikin?

Harder still to listen too. You can't go to a baseball game w/o some amateur spiking a four octave arpeggio that seems to take 3 minutes. So if Spanish or Klingon or haX0r will make it go faster I'm all for it. Hell, write it in Kazoo if you want.

I've been waiting for someone to record a version in French... 8-)

So if I sing the national anthem in Aramaic, or Jesus comes back to hang out for a thousand years, we'll be thrown in jail?

Nice.

Pay no attention to the illegal war behind the curtain....

I can see why faithful Americans are uncomfortable these liberties people take with the Star-Spangled Banner. It is, after all, the inspired and true word of God.

At the heart of this issue (or non-issue, as it were) is the fact the Bush doesn't seem to mind losing the support of the nation's largest ethnic group, the Latinos. In every election he has courted and pandered to the Cuban and Mexican communities in the South, now he tells them to buck up and learn English?

Somehow someone in his smoke-filled rooms has decided that he no longer needs to keep these groups in his camp-- or even more critically in his brother Jeb's camp.

Rove pushed hard last year to get Mel Martinez elected to the Senate and bolster Latino support in Florida. Have they turned their back on that strategy?

I hope so. Latinos are proud of their heritage and their language. They also are traditionally conservative voters who will swing in a second if a Republican gets them angry.

Time for Democrats to call Bush on his insensitivity and his hypocrisy (not having any problem chiming in with a Spanish version on the election trail) and win over a very important constituency who could be there to swing elections back into Democratic favor in Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and many other states.

I hope someone in the Democratic National Party is smart enough to send footage of Bush singing along with his Mariachi band to Univision and Telemundo to fan the flames of dissent.

¡Viva Bush! He'll win the Democrats the next election in spite of themselves.