More on the National Anthem

Senator Lamar Smith (R-Tenn.) used May 1 to express his displeasure over the recent Spanish version of the Star Spangled Banner. He introduced a bill yesterday to make the national anthem and other “statements of natinal unity” officially English. The national anthem should be sung in English, “not French, German, Russian, Hindi or Chinese, the second most widely spoken foreign language after Spanish,” Alexander said.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a Democrat, agreed, that the anthem should be sung in English. He said that immigrants “want to learn English. They want to be part of the American mainstream. They wear NFL jerseys.” He also called Monday’s demonstrations a “distraction from the real issue of the need for comprehensive immigration reform.”

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also weighed in on the anthem debate. Apparently, she isn’t that bothered by the Spanish version. She said: “I’ve heard the national anthem done in rap versions. The individualization of the American national anthem is quite under way. I think what we need to focuse on is an immigration policy that is comprehensive and that recognizes our laws and recognizes our humanity.”

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, May 2, 2006
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