Please Stand

Less than a month after capturing the American capital in Washington D.C. and burning the White House, the British Navy -the most powerful navy on earth- steamed towards Baltimore looking for another decisive victory. As the 5,000 British sailors made their way up the Patapsco River under the command of Admiral Alexander Cochrane, 1,000 American soldiers readied their guns for what would be a fierce exchange of firepower. The British bombardment began early on the morning of September 12th, 1818. The British would blast the Americans for over 25 hours. They would try to advance on Fort McHenry three separate times only to be thwarted by the tenacious Americans guarding the Fort and the entrance to the city. By dawn on the second morning of the battle with the rain subsiding, the American commander, Major George Armistead; ordered the storm flag lowered and replaced with the garrison flag measuring 42 feet by 30 feet. The British armada, after seeing the flag, accepted defeat and quickly escaped the harbor. On that fateful morning, before the sun had fully risen, a young man by the name of Francis Scott Key would write a poem reflecting on the battle and the sight of the American flag rising against the smoke filled sky.

Today, it seems, too many Americans have forgotten what the words to that poem mean. And what the colors of the great American flag mean. Here’s your reminder!

O say can you see, by the dawns early light
Have you ever fought all night long? Have you ever prayed to God that he would allow you to see the sun come up just one more time? Have you ever been so shook by artillery and rocket fire that the sight of the flag coming up at dawn gave you the only hope you ever needed? Veterans and warfighters across the globe have!

What so proudly we hail’d at the twilights last gleaming
Have you ever cherished something so much that you would do anything for it? A child, a friend, a brother? Veterans and Americans alike cherish the flag this much!

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
Have you ever been in a perilous fight? A fight so grave to your well-being, that even if you make it out alive you’ll think about it every day for the rest of your life? Veterans have!

O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming

Have you ever defended anything with your life? Have you ever been willing to, and succeeded, in giving your life to a cause greater than yourself? Veterans, and the hero’s that have died in our country’s wars have!

And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Have you ever been bombarded with so much artillery that the night turns to day? A bombardment so massive that the chaos in your mind won’t shut off and you’re just praying that somehow you find your wits so you can defend yourself? Veterans have!

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there
Have you ever been so proud of something that it makes you cry? Maybe a child hitting his first home run? Maybe graduating college? Maybe marrying your true love? Veterans feel this way every time they hear the national anthem and see the flag!

O say does that star spangled banner yet wave?
Does it? Are you still proud of the flag and the values of this country? Veterans and patriots alike are!

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Have you ever lived in a country established on free values? A country where every individual has the same opportunity as the next? A country where millions of men and women are willing to, and have, given their life in support of freedom across the globe? Americans do!

Veterans and Americans alike adore the National Anthem and the American Flag. The anthem is a brief moment when Veterans and Americans can reflect on all this nation has accomplished and to honor the sacrifices made by so many. Protesting injustice and discrimination is your choice. The National Anthem is not the platform to do it! Please stop using a time established for mourning and reflection to advance your agenda. If you want to make change, you have the money and resources to do it. Disrespecting the Americans that are trying to reflect and honor our heritage isn’t changing anything, it’s making things worse!