National anthems and other patriotic songs invoke much sentiment among its citizens. A tremendous uproar ensued after Roseanne Barr butchered the Star Spangled Banner at a San Diego Padres game in 1990. In the movie Casablanca, both German and French soldiers try to out sing each other with their anthems in this World War II era flick. There is a famous prizewinning photo showing a Frenchman trying to keep his composure, tears streaming down his face as he realizes that his La Marseillaise will no longer be sung as French troupes leave Toulon Harbour. To this day, German nationals do not sing the first or second verse of their anthem Deutschland Uber Alles due to the Nazi connotation of its troubled past. Only the third verse is sung giving it it's present name Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit. During the filming of the move Dr. Zhivago in Spain, residents rushed to their doorways thinking the dictator Gen. Francisco Franco had overthrown when The Internationale was played as part of the script.
After 911, national fervor peaked to its highest point ever as US citizens stood in a united front against terrorism and extremists. At the recent American League Championship Series games, two patriotic songs were sung. Then there are the extremists, terrorists, militants, or God knows what have you, whose only ideology is destruction, mayhem and carnage. They care little for any nationalism because they still have this ancient clan or tribe mentality of infighting and revenge. How could we possible being democracy to Iraq while the concept of nationalism so totally foreign? We are generations away from making any headway in this Catch 22 scenario.
K.
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