Should we sing the national anthem in Spanish?

[Dr Alan]

I don't often agree with Dubya, but we see eye to eye on this one...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/28/ap/politics/mainD8H970PO0.shtml

Francis Scott Key wrote the anthem (actually he adapted it from an old English drinking song) in English, and it should be sung in English, IMHO.

[Traci1]

I agree as well.

On another note...and I'm not deliberately trying to offend anyone by saying this, but I am sick of businesses translating everything into Spanish on product labels, store signage, ATM machines, etc. to take advantage of the fact that "Hispanic" is the fastest growing group in this country. (and therfore there is money to be made off of them!) As we all know there are people from other countries here as well, but because they are not the "target group" or what ever you want to call it, no one bothers to translate things into those other languages.

a quote from that article..."We instead view `Nuestro Himno' as a song that affords those immigrants that have not yet learned the English language the opportunity to fully understand the character of the Star-Spangled Banner, the American flag and the ideals of freedom that they represent," Kidron said.

then why wasn't it re-written in EVERY language...why just Spanish? There are more than just Hispanic immigrants in this country!

[Cool Evil Liz]

IMHO should be ONLY sung in English. If we went to any other non english speaking country to live we would have to learn that language. Why do people feel the USA is any different? I get really tired of people using the "racist" ploy to get what they want. I am white and have worked hard to get where I am. No assistance used. And I sure as HELL dont get things for free. Ok rant over.

[cougardude]

i have to agree with you guys. i hate when im at work and the instructions to something is in spanish. i go on jobs and that all you here i had a forman on a job one time speaking spanish i start to joke with the guy next to me and the forman told me i should learn it too. i told him no im in America its called English now speak it

[markface]

i have always felt that english should be made the officail language of america . as of right now the US has no official language . as liz said if one of us moved to another country we would be expected to learn that language . if someone wants to come to the US then they should be willing to live by our standards , not try to convert us to their standards . they should also be willing to go through the legal proccesses of gaining entry to this country . i dont think its right to grant citizenship to anyone who has illegally gained entry here .

[FloridaHogs]

Try living in an area that a hurricane has hit!! They swarm in to help"rebuild" and then never leave. I am not talking about Hispanics that contribute, but ones that end up living in hotels running drug and prostitution rings. The cheap physical labor guys that just follow the work and the women that follow them. My friend that is a cop is constantly complaining about this certain area of hotels (use to be a dicent area by a mall) and how they are constantly having to do raids now. Never had to do that before Hurricane Ivan. Not to mentio al of the welfare refugees from Hurr. Katrina that never left. We were still recovering from Ivan, barely able to take care of our own misplaced and homeless, when Katrina hits. Now we are expected to take care of theirs as well?? We have so many tent camping groungs and FEMA trailer parks now it is rediculious!! Not to be ugly, but your town is rebuilt GO HOME and quit mooching off of us. Go mooch off of your own community!
Sorry.....................:icon_rolleyes:

[alexhue]

This thread has taken just a little turn...lets try and keep it a tad in perspective. This Thread is about whether or not the anthem should be sung/translated into spanish...has nothing to do with who's "invading" this country at this particular point in time.

If the native americans would have their way, we'd all be speaking some national Indian language and probably rightfully so.

Sooooo, lets keep discussions about stereotypical conclusions based on national heritage, race or even creed in the appropriate forum..."mature general duscussions".

I would hate for anyone reading this thread to get the impression that in this time and age (considering we're all immigrants and invaders) a discussion about something as simple as whether or not our national anthem should be sung in spanish ends up being a discussion with a hint of "intolerance".

Now if you aske me, if you're going to live in a country where the language is pre-dominantly or founded on a specific language...in this case english, then learn the freaking language. No ifs, ands or buts about it. This country just happens to be a english speaking country, the laws, history, social and governmental structure was established using the english language...learn it or forever keep your peace I say. The national Anthem has a certain meaning to it that can only be grasped if read, sung, or spoken in English. You loose that meaning when you translate it and that in my opinion is rude and distasteful regardless of what intentions good or bad.

[Dr Alan]

Well said, Alex


If the native americans would have their way, we'd all be speaking some national Indian language and probably rightfully so. LOL. My wife is native American, and the native communities' gatherings and teachings which we participate in tend to divide indian tradition and history into two very broad categories: "pre-contact" and "post-contact", or basically everything before the seventeenth century, and everything after.....

We're all invaders.

[earthpig23]

yep should be sung in english. It is a requirement to speak english to me an official citizen. There are alot of english speaking people in other countries. There are signs in touristy areas in multiple languages to help. however no where else are they trading their traditional anthem in for a translated version. It has more to do with heritage and tradition than language.

[FloridaHogs]

Sorry for the rant, my post was not specifaclly aimed at hispanics per say, but rather at the people that follow tragedy around, work under the table, and then mooch off the citizens.

In France, a lot of the shopkeepers will not even speak to you in english until you have made a sincere attempt to speak to them in French first. They want to see honest effort to learn their language. Anthem should be in English, as should menus, street signs, instructions, etc.

[sputnik]

When in Rome.....

[alexhue]

Well said, Alex

LOL. My wife is native American, and the native communities' gatherings and teachings which we participate in tend to divide indian tradition and history into two very broad categories: "pre-contact" and "post-contact", or basically everything before the seventeenth century, and everything after.....

We're all invaders.

If you lived in my house (my own sovereign country which occupies approx. 3200 sq feet where we speak english unless arguments arise then its a free for all and every language in the known world is used to get points across)...there are also 2 traditions and historys according to my mother....pre-Alex and after Alex, she claims times were just a bit more care free and less opinionated during the pre-Alex years. *Sigh* what a glorious time it must've been.....wished I could've lived back then :icon_twisted:

[alexhue]

Sorry for the rant, my post was not specifaclly aimed at hispanics per say, but rather at the people that follow tragedy around, work under the table, and then mooch off the citizens.

In France, a lot of the shopkeepers will not even speak to you in english until you have made a sincere attempt to speak to them in French first. They want to see honest effort to learn their language. Anthem should be in English, as should menus, street signs, instructions, etc.

Not a problem...my only concern is the age of some readers here whom may get the wrong impression. Although the "politics" behind it all would be an interesting discussion for the mature forums.

[bassett524]

I dislike the man as well, but he's right to refuse. This is just people trying to take advantage during a time when their race is under fire. They want sympathy and are trying to push to get what they want, but plain and simple they don't deserve it. I have nothing against hispanics, I have everything against any race that trys to change wherever they go into their own culture. You can bring culture with you, but don't force it upon others. (anyone else see the irony in bush not allowing others to force their ways on another nation) They came here for a better life, they wanted america because it is nicer than what they origonally lived in. Maybe they shouldn't change and rearrange until the place they moved is just another mexico.

Plain and simple I would not go to mexico and expect their anthem to be sung in english, nor would I france, or germany, or any other country just to make it easier for me. they came here, they should learn our language. I took years of spanish lessons so I could go visit there, they could at least have mutual respect and do the same.

[sputnik]

This is just people trying to take advantage during a time when their race is under fire.

I don't know, from what I have seen.... it appears to be quite the opposite!

[jstu_3]

I agree, the anthem should be sung in english, if they want to sing an anthem in spanish, then go home

[earthpig23]

If you lived in my house (my own sovereign country which occupies approx. 3200 sq feet where we speak english unless arguments arise then its a free for all and every language in the known world is used to get points across)...there are also 2 traditions and historys according to my mother....pre-Alex and after Alex, she claims times were just a bit more care free and less opinionated during the pre-Alex years. *Sigh* what a glorious time it must've been.....wished I could've lived back then :icon_twisted:
Pre Alex years now thats funny. I wonder how many languages get spoken in a heated discussion.lol

[Dr Alan]

In France, a lot of the shopkeepers will not even speak to you in english until you have made a sincere attempt to speak to them in French first. When I visited France, the dislike that French people seem to feel for Americans (and anything American except maybe Jerry Lewis who for some weird reason they all love) was palpable. Everyone from customs and border security to waitpersons treated us reluctantly and with what I can only describe as disgust and disdain. My admittedly lame attempts to communicate in French seemed only to earn me more ridicule. Many of the people we dealt with spoke English, but absolutely did not admit it unless their position or job mandated that they communicate with Americans. About the only exceptions were the owners of the very small family-run hotel we stayed at in the Montparnasse district of Paris. Those folks were polite, welcoming and even friendly.

[RangerGrrl]

Dr. Alan, where did you go in france, and what year? I was an exchange student there for 7 months and visited several times afterward. It stinks that you had to deal with that. Parisians are well known throughout France (by other French people) for being impossibly rude. I noticed that the more I got out of the cities, the nicer everyone was. Also they're more laid back in the southern portions. (I hypothesize that this had something to do with the Occupation.) On a side note, no young French folks even know who Jerry Lewis is.

If you want to sing the National Anthem, sing it in its native tongue, which is English. Things often lose meaning in translation. Bush is right (Oh, how it burns to type that!) and immigrants of any type should not insist on turning America into a tiny chunk of their home country in order to avoid having to participate in a different lifestyle. They came HERE. America is valuable enough to them to come here. It should be valuable enough to assimilate at a level that enables full participation as a citizen.

I'm not for turning everyone into homogenous SUV driving suburbanites, but if you immigrate into a foreign country, be prepared to be flexible.

[Dr Alan]

Dr. Alan, where did you go in france, and what year? It was about 15 years ago. Visited friends in Holland and traveled by car through parts of Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg and France. Felt like we were welcomed everywhere except France, lol. The only other city where there was a faint but noticeable anti-American feeling in the air was Koln (Cologne, Germany), and that was pretty clearly because we - meaning British and American bombers - basically levelled the city toward the conclusion of WWII.

[sputnik]

The only other city where there was a faint but noticeable anti-American feeling in the air was Koln (Cologne, Germany), and that was pretty clearly because we - meaning British and American bombers - basically levelled the city toward the conclusion of WWII.

It's still debated today, if it were a legit target.

[ChaosCat]

Wow, what comments! I agree. I dislike all this spanish/french/etc language being put on cans, signs, etc. Ridiculous! Our anthem should be in English, as it was written.

I also agree, English should be USA's language. I've had friends who go to other countries-Mexico, France, etc-and in any country where most of it's nationals speak one language, they will not speak another language just for some immigrant or tourist.

I have hispanics in my family, they agree with the idea about making it a felony for illegals to be here. Of course, the founder of their family came over rightfully and went through learning english, american law, etc-all the hardships-just legally! (hell, one of the family works as a police officer, another is a nurse, another owns his own vineyards... all of them went to college, worked hard (with no handouts except from family) to get where they are now like everyone else!)

[Dr Alan]

It's still debated today, if it were a legit target. Questioned as to whether it was a legitimate hard target, yes - but there was the justification of interfering with military river traffic on the Rhein. A more hotly debated civil attack on Germany was the fire-bombing of Dresden (no significant military targets and no military related industry) when the war was virtually over.

[sputnik]

Questioned as to whether it was a legitimate hard target, yes - but there was the justification of interfering with military river traffic on the Rhein. A more hotly debated civil attack on Germany was the fire-bombing of Dresden (no significant military targets and no military related industry) when the war was virtually over.

There is no question about the Dresden bombing, just a mass slaughter of woman and children really.

On the whole spanish thing, I just find it amazing that English seems to be under attack on a large scale. Some people coming here are clearly not willing to embrace the written and spoken language. Keeping their own and their own customs is fine with me, but a little give and take!

Can you imagine the up road if it were reversed on these out spoken groups. I wonder how they'd re-act?