Charlotte Busch Series Race

[Sukie1941]

just started, and during the National Anthem (not a fav of mine, I much prefer America the Beautiful or some such), I heard people hooting and hollering when they got to the part about "the bombs bursting in air."

I agree with John Edwards, "Why can't we be patriotic about something besides war?"

I don't think this national anthem is all that old, but whoever chose it must have been in the throes of war about that time.

[muntrv]

1. Let's add those hootin' and hollerin' people to the surge in Iraq.

:evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[ellenfl]

2. something like that . . .

The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the U.S.A., with lyrics written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key. Key, a 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, wrote them as a poem after seeing the bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, by British ships in Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812.

btw, the race fans are not hooting and hollering for the lyrics but for the flyover. they always hoot and holler during the national anthem at the race track because that's when the flyover occurs. the one time i was at the charlotte race track, a stealth bomber hovered overhead. as much as i rue its existence, it was breathtaking and worth a hoot and holler.

ellen fl

[Sukie1941]

3. When it was chosen, not written

I thought it was actually chosen in the 1930's as the national anthem. I guess I need to find out, eh?

[ellenfl]

4. my bad . . . it became official in 1931.

The song gained popularity throughout the nineteenth century and bands played it during public events, such as July 4 celebrations. On 27 July 1889, Secretary of the Navy Benjamin F. Tracy signed General Order #374, making "The Star-Spangled Banner" the official tune to be played at the raising of the flag.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that "The Star-Spangled Banner" be played at military and other appropriate occasions. Although the playing of the song two years later during the seventh-inning stretch of the 1918 World Series is often noted as the first instance that the Anthem was played at a baseball game, evidence shows that the "Star-Spangled Banner" was performed as early as 1897 at Opening Day ceremonies in Philadelphia and then more regularly at the Polo Grounds in New York City beginning in 1898. Today, the anthem is performed before the first pitch at every game.

On 3 November 1929, Robert Ripley drew a panel in his syndicated cartoon, Believe it or Not!, saying "Believe It or Not, America has no national anthem."<3> In 1931, John Philip Sousa published his opinion in favor, stating that "it is the spirit of the music that inspires" as much as it is Key’s "soul-stirring" words. By a law signed on 3 March 1931 by President Herbert Hoover, "The Star-Spangled Banner" was adopted as the national anthem of the United States.

ellen fl

[Spiffarino]

5. Same at Indy 500

The flyovers are amazing. I saw the Stealth Bomber once, F-16s another time, and each time the crowd went a little nuts. War planes aren't nice, but they are utterly cool to watch fly.