Bob,
Not to take anything away from what today's pollsters would have
called an amazing miracle, the Colonists rose up and, like I'd hoped
Bernie could do, smacked the British Overlords a resounding defeat.
But that was happening in the late 1870's. By the time Francis Scott
Key penned the words to the Star Spangled Banner, we were a young
nation, fighting for survival. But even at the time of the actual
revolution, we had a double tiered society. The Land Owners felt the
squeeze by their British Overlords, and they finally had enough. The
rest of Americans had no say in the days politics since they were
either non-landowners, Negro Slaves, indentured servants, women or
Indians. When the majority of Landowners decided to revolt, the rest
of Americans were caught between a rock and a hard place. Most of
them knew that their lives would not improve regardless of who won.
Some of the Landowners feared that if the revolution failed, they
would lose their title to their land as well as their freedom and even
their lives.
Too bad we didn't have email back then. If we think we have troubles
in today's presidential election year, it must have been very
disturbing to the general public.
Even with outside help it was touch and go. And when the dust had
settled and the war was won, many Landowners had spent all their money
and even mortgaged their land to the point of losing it. That meant
jobs became scarce. As poor as the pay was for the average worker,
bankrupt estates meant no work. But the Landed Gentry looked out for
its own. Most of those who lost their property had support from their
fellow Patriots, and managed to rebuild. But the Americans who had no
vote or stake in the new government, not only paid the price of this
new nation with their labor, but also with their lives.
From the very beginning the Working Class has been struggling for
equality as first class citizens.
For me, that Star Spangled Banner we so proudly hail, is the flag of
today's Landholders. That Star Spangled Banner also represents
oppression and insecurity for a great many people.
Even as we groan over the false promises of those who would rise to
lead this nation, so I groan over the false words of our national
anthem.
Carl Jarvis
On 3/18/16, Bob Hachey <bhachey@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi carl and all,
That was an interesting piece on the history of our national anthem. While
I
agree that it was way over blown with too much emphasis on religion, there
are some grains of truth in there. Most especially, that the
revolutionaries
of America were indeed being oppressed by the British Empire prior to the
American Revolution. Yes, America sadly kept slavery which is a permanent
stain on our nation. But good men were willing to give up their lives
rather
than surrender to the British.
What is saddest of all here, and it happens over and over again in human
history, when those who were once oppressed gain power, then they tend to
become the oppressors. This can be said of America, Russia, China, and many
more.
Bob Hachey
