The National Anthem left style

In politics when one receives an honor yet you are bent left, you seize the opportunity...

http://dennisprager.townhall.com/col...ational_anthem

Last week in Denver, almost all the values of the post-1960s left were exhibited in one act.


It happened on the Denver mayor's most important day -- the one in which he was to deliver his annual State of the City Address. The day was to begin with the singing of the National Anthem by the black jazz singer Rene Marie. But Ms. Marie had, by her own admission, long had other plans. Instead of the National Anthem, she sang "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," a song written in 1899 and often referred to today as the Black National Anthem.



What Marie did embodied a plethora of leftist ideals and characteristics: Ethical relativism, multiculturalism, the supremacy of feelings, the belief that artists are above normal ethical standards and group victimization.


We begin with ethical relativism. The left's opposition to Judeo-Christian values is first and foremost an opposition to objective, or universal, ethics. Ethics and morality are relative. There is no objective or universal standard of right and wrong. We are each the source of our own values.


These lessons were learned well by Marie. The notion that lying to the mayor of Denver (a Democrat, as it happens) when she agreed to his invitation to sing the National Anthem was unethical or immoral is foreign to Ms. Marie.


But how could she morally defend something so obviously immoral?


That is what ethical relativism made possible thanks to a number of values of the left.


One such leftist value is multiculturalism. Since the 1960s, a major goal of the left has been to weaken American national identity and replace it with other cultural, national, racial and ethnic identities (in effect, changing the motto of the United States from "From Many, One" to "From One, Many"). It has pursued this goal through bilingual education, election ballots in multiple languages, numerical guidelines in American history textbooks concerning the percentage of space allotted to given minorities, opposition to declaring English America's national language, and rendering the term "flag waving" a pejorative that implies quasi-fascist sentiments.


One could well imagine a member of any number of other minorities substituting a different song for the National Anthem. The left has successfully taught millions of Americans to honor other national identities while either fearing or disparaging American nationalism. That lesson, too, was clearly learned by Marie.


The idea of a Black National Anthem is a multiculturalist paradigm. A black freedom song, a black hymnal, songs that gave African slaves on American soil some comfort and hope in the midst of their suffering, and, for that matter, "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" -- these all fit perfectly into an American national identity. Indeed, all Americans should know such songs. But a Black National Anthem, when substituted for the National Anthem, means that there are two nations on American soil, a black one and an American one.


The left's second contribution to Marie's value system has been its elevation of feelings above other values. For example, one determines right and wrong on the basis of how one feels (as opposed to, let us say, asking what one's religion, or God, or any moral law that transcends one's own feelings would say on a given matter).


Now, the elevation of one's feelings above other considerations is generally viewed as a form of narcissism. And while narcissism is as old as humanity, until the 1960s it was generally regarded as a character flaw. Since the 1960s, however, it was more often heralded as a virtue.



From recreational drug use to recreational sex, acting on one's feelings, actions of self-centered narcissism, has been glorified.


The core of this attitude lies in the left's veneration of feelings. How one feels became all-important. It even determines morality, the rightness or wrongness of an action. Thus, a generation of young people has been raised with the question, "How do you feel about it?" not "Is it right or wrong?"


Thus, Marie justified what she did in terms of feelings: "I want to express how I feel about living in the United States as a black woman, as a black person," she said. Her feelings were what mattered, and they were more important than elementary decency. continued...


A third contribution of the left's values to what Marie did is the elevation of the artist to the status of demigod. If the feelings of mere mortals can determine what is right and wrong, the feelings of an artist are even more important.


There is no hubris like that of many contemporary artists. At some point in the second half of the 20th century the belief arose that artists formed a moral elite.



Given the moral idiocies that have been more the norm than the exception among 20th century artists -- the countless artists who have glorified Communism, Fascism and Nazism -- facts alone render the idea of artist-as-moral-beacon foolish. But even in theory the idea has no merit. There is nothing in art that renders an artist more morally elevated than a sanitation worker.


Sure enough, being an artist was Marie's justification for her dishonesty. Asked on her website, "Wasn't this dishonest?" she responded:
"I can see how it may be perceived that way. But I looked at it a different way: I am an artist. I cannot apologize for that. It goes with the risky territory of being an artist." Marie also told the press, "I don't think it is necessary for artists to ask permission to express themselves artistically."


Artists are above morality. While you and I should not deceive people, artists may.


The fourth contribution of the left to the Marie episode is its constant reinforcement of a sense of victimhood among all Americans who are not male, white, heterosexual and Christian. The moral consequence of this is that the victim, like the artist, like the feelings-determine-morality individual, can do more or less whatever he pleases.


It should be noted that many individuals on the left condemned what Marie did. And it is not for me to judge whether they did so out of conviction or political necessity; one must generally judge actions, not motives. But to the sincere liberal and leftist, I ask: Do you not see how left/liberal values made this episode possible?


Individuals on the left may condemn what happened in Denver City Hall on July 1, 2008. But, in fact, it was a triumph of leftist values.


Final note: If you do not now fear for America's future, please go on the Internet and watch the Denver city officials respectfully watch a woman substitute her own song for that of the National Anthem. Watch how not a single official stopped her, or even demanded that the National Anthem be sung afterward. And listen to the applause. Then you will fear for our country's future.

So, you're taking the side of the idiot singing the song, instead of the idiot mayor who is complaining then?

I thought that this was the correct forum to put this in because this substitution for our National Anthem was allowed and applauded and then everything went forward without somebody singing it. I can move it elsewhere, gotta thread in mind?. I'm not buying it's an artist thing. That was some communist/socialist/racist type political crap. I'm not sure why not much is being said about this. If it ever happens again, and I am in attendance, I myself will begin the song off-key if I must, and gesture for those about me to get with it and sing along.

I know. I was giving you crap.

The forum is more for government taking things away, like freedom of speech.

In this case, she was 'exercising her right as an artist', but artists aren't protected, Speech is. Mostly political speech I would think. lol

Anyway.. Leave it for now.

'Black National Anthem' At State Of City (Denver) Stirs Heated Debate

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One of the most notable incidents from Tuesday's State of the City address occurred even before the mayor's speech began.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, Rene Marie was introduced to sing the national anthem.

But that's not what she sang.

Marie actually sang the tune of the traditional national anthem with the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice and Sing." It's a song some have called the National Black Anthem, the Negro National Anthem or the Black National Anthem.

"I wanted to express how I felt about living in this country as a black woman," Marie said.

Once she finished performing, there was a moment of awkward silence and then the crowd gave her mild applause. Marie said she understood why the audience was confused, since the song sounded familiar but the lyrics were different.

"Art is supposed to make you think," Marie told 7NEWS.

Some people were offended and others, including the mayor, were caught off guard.

"She was making an artistic expression in a ceremonial role, so obviously, that is inappropriate," Mayor John Hickenlooper said.

The Denver Mayor's Office said it wasn't aware that Marie was planning to sing that version of the song.

"As I listened to her sing, I assumed she would eventually move into the traditional Star Spangled Banner. I called her personally this afternoon to understand what happened. She explained her song was an artistic expression of her love for her country," Hickenlooper said. "I'm disappointed that this matter has been a distraction from the great work and significant accomplishments of our city employees over the past year and the many important initiatives on tap for the coming year."

"What I did say to the mayor was that there was no direspect to his office intended at all and I apologized for any trouble I caused," Marie said.

The Broomfield jazz singer said only three people at the State of the City ceremony knew she would sing the lyrics to the Black National Anthem -- her husband, her mentor and herself. It was not a song requested by the city, but a song she had deliberately chosen to perform in light of what was happening in the country, and what was happening in Denver in August -- when Sen. Barack Obama will become the first African-American to accept the nomination to become a major party candidate for president.

She said she didn't want to sing the Star Spangled Banner because "it doesn't represent me."

Marie said she didn't ask the mayor's office if she could sing the Black National Anthem because she knew she would be told no.

"An artist does not ask permission to express themselves artistically," said Marie. "You just do it and then you deal with it."

She said she knew she was taking a risk but was thinking of her parents, who stood up for desegregation.

"They took matters into their own hands and that is what you have to do. You can't wait to be asked. You can't wait for the right place, or right moment, or right platform. Sometimes you just have to do it."

"There is a place and a time for that," said Jon Caldera, president of the Independence Institute. "When you are asked to sing the national anthem at a state of state address, or state of city address or any other political function, I would expect that person to put their country first and their personal politics second."

"This woman owes all of Colorado and Denver an apology for being so incredibly rude. My guess is she is pretty proud of her high school stunt," Caldera said.

Marie said she has no regrets and would do it all over again.

There are reports that City Council president Michael Hancock, who introduced the singer, is being inundated with hate mail. He said he just met Marie on Tuesday.

As far as the mayor is concerned, Hickenlooper said he is deeply disappointed and will make sure in the future to be more explicit regarding who and what is sung at his events.

The first verse of the anthem, according to Black-Network.com:

Lift every voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring.
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise,
High as the lightning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.

The National Black Anthem song was originally written in 1899 by by James Weldon Johnson for a presentation in celebration of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, according to AfricanAmericans.com.

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Fallout Continues Over Black National Anthem

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Some Denver officials are getting hate mail and nasty phone calls a day after a local jazz singer sang what's referred to as the Black National Anthem instead of the Star Spangled Banner during the mayor's State of the City address on Tuesday.

Mayor John Hickenlooper wanted everyone to walk away from the State of the City address with their heads high, proud of past accomplishments and looking forward to another year. Instead many people are focusing on a song that they say was offensive and they're letting the city know.

Hickenlooper held a news conference Wednesday where he appeared upset and irritated.

He said the singer, Rene Marie, "deceived us."

"We all respect artistic license and support freedom of expression. But in a tradition-laden civic ceremony that included a law enforcement color guard presenting our flags and the Pledge of Allegiance -- making a personal substitution for the national anthem was not an option," he said.

"We asked for the Star Spangled Banner and that's what we expected. No matter what her reasons for taking this action and deliberately withholding her plans from event organizers, she absolutely chose the wrong time and place to do it. She knew what the city's expectations were, and she was dishonest about her intentions."

Even though the mayor said it was to be his last remarks on the issue, the controversy doesn't appear to be dying down. The talk lit up talk radio all day Wednesday.

"I don't think it is appropriate that you change words to the song and sing a different anthem," said Gov. Bill Ritter during a radio segment.

Marie said she deliberately chose to sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" to the tune of the traditional anthem because she doesn't relate to the lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner.

"I wanted to express how I felt about living in this country as a black woman," Marie said.

But her decision has sparked a firestorm. Hate mail and nasty phone calls are flooding in to councilman Michael Hancock's office. He introduced her at the State of the City ceremony.

"That is painful because that calls into question my character and that I had some motive to derail or hurt the mayor or administration and that absolutely and couldn't be further from the truth," Hancock said.

He said he had never met the singer.

In fact, no one, but Marie's husband and mentor knew she planned on singing the Black National Anthem.

"If I invite you to my house and ask you to take your shoes off, you either take your shoes off or you stand on the porch," Hancock said. "She was invited to a house to sing the American national anthem. She should have sang the national anthem."

Hancock said he hopes we can all acknowledge we have one national anthem. He said what happened Tuesday was disappointing but that he hopes we can move on.

Marie has not apologized and said she did not regret what she did. The Broomfield jazz singer said she would do it again.

The mayor said he will do whatever it takes to ensure that a situation like this never occurs again.

"Even if I have to sing the national anthem myself," Hickenlooper said.

He said every year, a local vocalist is invited to sing the national anthem at the State of the City event and no compensation is ever attached to this invitation. Marie was not paid for her performance.

Given the volume of questions the city is receiving about Marie's decision to sing the Black National Anthem, the city said she invited those calling and e-mailing to contact her at 303-520-6705 or Rene@ReneMarie.com.

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Aplomb already has a thread on this.

What you talkin' 'bout Rick? We are in Aplomb's thread! :D

We are NOW...

/snicker

:beer: