When the freak did "God Bless America" become not the standard BUT absolute MUST end of speeches

[Justice wanted]

I mean it. I've looking at speeches done by Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and even FDR and other than George Washington ADDING "So Help Me God" at the end of the oath of the President of the U.S. we never see those words added until like Reagan.


Do other politicians in other countries say it? Why the FREAKIN hell do we demand a deity -ESPECIALLY a deity of ONE CERTAIN religion to bless a country which was founded on Religious diversity.


Why do we (collective whole) sit back and allow the politicians to make this the norm in the end of all speeches.


By doing this we have in a sense allowed ONE religion to have "Power" or become More Legit than others and we see how racism and hatred of other religions have com up more.


Look at the case of the muslim woman beaten to death with a tire iron in her home.

[Cleita]

1. When the southern baptist taliban took over our politicians. n/t

[immoderate]

2. I'd go for an occasional "Stones rock!" or "Go Giants!" to balance it out.

[font color="darkred" face="script" size=36]On edit:[/font]

The song "God Bless America" was written by a Jewish atheist socialist, who could only play in the key of C.

The utterances of the politicians however, are not so much a sign of religious devotion, but an indicator of commitment, dedication, and trustworthyness, -- necessary because nobody believes them at all. To prove their faith (in the classic sense) they would throw themselves on a bed of spikes. It they were beetles, they'd present you with a giant ball of shit. They are grasping for ways of asserting their integrity!

That's not religious. (Not that I would give it any more respect if it were.)

--imm

[FSogol]

8. Thank you Cleveland....Good Night!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. I remember it off and on for as long as I can remember

[snooper2]

4. Since this movie came out

[unblock]

5. i think reagan made it a habit and no one dares to break it.

it's not like one couldn't come up with an alternative ending.

the real problem is that the religious right would go ape because apparently god's blessings are only temporary and god would only keep blessing america if we keep asking for it. america is great, but god will only bless it if and when we ask for it. so i guess the idea is that it would wear off and bad things would happen if america had worn or stale blessings

gotta keep the blessings fresh and shiny.

or something like that.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. Reagan. Jimmy Carter may be born-again, but he never forced it on the rest of us.

[Sheepshank]

7. If those 3 words shuts up the freaking baggers, fundies, Santorum, Bachmann, Palin and Romney

and the inevitable months long debate about how Obama Hates America, I don't give a flying rat's ass. Say it and give them one less piece of 'manufactured' outrage.

[NoGOPZone]

9. It has to be a while. I think Nixon was blessing America

at the same time he was bombing Cambodia.

[izquierdista]

10. The authoritative explanation

Starting around 2:00

[longship]

11. Joe Bless America

It's amazing what you can accomplish with a simple baseball bat.

George Carlin

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

12. Well the song wasn't actually written until 1918 by Irving Berlin.

He revised in 1938, most likely in response to Hitler and the rise of the Nazis (Berlin was Jewish). Kate Smith, of course, made it very popular (I think she had her own radio show).

So this is maybe why we don't see it before the 20th century, and why it doesn't become prominent until mid-20th century.

Just a guess.

[Justice wanted]

13. I'm not talking about the song I'm talking about EVERY freakin Politian and Wannabe saying that

at the end of every speech.

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

15. Right, but they got it from the song.

It seeped into the cultural consciousness. Didn't Regan give her a medal of freedom or something?

I'm simply answering your question about why earlier pols. didn't always have this phrase. I imagine it's because the verse wasn't part of the cultural fabric. If you ask a question, someone may try to answer it. That's how questions work.

I'm only spitballing here. I'm not a music historian. I'm just hypothesizing as to why it's become so popular in the 120th century. I think Cold War residue has something to do with it as well. If the communists were atheists, well, then we distinguished ourselves from them by our reliance on God. So references to God Bless America makes sense anytime one confronts a culture which we perceive as not having a God or not having OUR God. Remember, Berlin was Jewish and wrote this at the very time the Nazis were coming to power.

But, again, I'm not arguing with; I'm simply answering your question.

[Justice wanted]

16. I'm sorry didn't realize fully what you meant about the post. kind of just waking up too.

so sorry.

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

17. No worries.

It's a good question, I think. It made me think about the origins of this rather modern phenomenon. Jefferson would hate this shit.

[NNN0LHI]

14. I remember when every president ended any speech calling for the release of jailed priests in China

I think that ended about the time when when we got to the point where we had more incarcerated priests than China has.

Don