Bill Press Hates Our National Anthem, With Its 'Military Jargon' and 'Home of the Brave' Stuff

Newsbusters ^ | 06/06/2012 | By Tim Graham

[SeekAndFind]

If it wasn’t odd enough for MSNBC weekend talker Chris Hayes to feel great discomfort at the idea of calling our war veterans “heroes” because it was too warlike, on Tuesday’s Full Court Press on Current TV, lefty Bill Press said he finds “The Star-Spangled Banner” is just embarrassing because of the “military jargon” in it and the idea that somehow we live in the “land of the brave,” as if nobody else is grave.

Not only is it apparently “absolutely, monumentally unsingable,” Press proclaimed, “But it’s an abomination. First it ranges two octaves most people can only do kind of one octave. I mean when you think about it, it’s bombs bursting in air rockets red glare it’s all kinds of, you know, a lot of national anthems are that way all kinds of military jargon." (Video from Current TV below)

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO

The rant continued: "And the land there’s only one phrase ‘the land of the free’ which is kind of nice and ‘the home of the brave?’ I don’t know...Are we (Americans) the only ones who are brave on the planet? I mean all the brave people live here. I mean it’s just stupid I think. I’m embarrassed every time, I’m embarrassed every time we hear it."

The musical complaint came first: "It is a major crusade of mine a major cause of mine and that is to get rid of the Star Spangled Banner. Now I know you’re going to say I am not a true American I’m not patriotic. I don’t think patriotism has anything to do with it. The National Anthem is just absolutely monumentally un-singable. I mean it’s – there’s so much wrong with it. I don’t know where to start."

Press brought up the subject because the CBS folks at 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair magazine decided to take a poll asking who should write a new national anthem -- as if there was a demand for such a thing. (It would be a better idea to ask if the CBS Evening News should get a new theme song to get them out of third place.)

It should be said that Press doesn't hate other patriotic songs. He said the "words are perfect” in My Country, Tis of Thee. And "I really love God Bless America, nobody belted it out better than Kate Smith." And Ray Charles singing America the Beautiful  "still gives me goosebumps.”       

But our Anthem? “It’s time to junk it,” he said.

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOE THE VIDEO

[SeekAndFind]

If my memory serves me right... I believe he did say in the past that he preferred "American the Beautiful" except for the "God" stuff...

[alloysteel]

Nothing much seems to please Bill Press, now does it?

The doors are always open, he can leave this benighted land and relocate elsewhere, in some venue that meets his personal preferences.

Say, Viet Nam. After all, didn’t they beat the United States?

[mosaicwolf]

I will be the first of many ti say it so here goes....Move to Mexico Bill!

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Nothing much seems to please Bill Press, now does it?

If I read him correctly, I think he wants the STAR SPANGLED BANNER replaced by another anthem.

By what, he doesn’t say, but he seems to favor a few already popular ones.

[basil]

Don’t let the door hit you on the butt as you go..........

[mkjessup]

I'll say again what I've said already about this: FOUR WORDS to that Communist puke Bill Press,

GET THE F*CK OUT (of America)


And consider this: that sorry sounuvabitch used to work for the CIA, that's just ONE reason our intelligence operations are probably screwed up today!

[mkjessup]

Say, Viet Nam. After all, didn’t they beat the United States?

Uhhh NO they did not. Better brush up on your history there pal.

[bray]

He would prefer the Russian anthem as well as their constitution.

Pray for America

[SeekAndFind]

Actually in Vietnam we simply GAVE UP. IOW, We defeated ourselves. It was a loss of will, and the Democrats in control of Congress then made sure that happened.

Also, the fact that Walter Cronkite would spin a huge defeat for the Vietcongs in the Tet Offensive to a victory for them didn’t help either.

[Real Cynic No More]

So which other countries send their youth into battle to defend and protect citizens of other countries? Which country rose up in earnest to free citizenry of other countries subjugated by Hitler's 3rd Reich? And as far as it being difficult to sing? Give me a break. Even I can sing it and sing it well. As far as those who cant carry a tune without a tone thingamajig... well they shouldn't be asked to sing it in public anyway. Maybe Press just wants a rap version of a National Anthem. He's just a busybody wanting us all to forget what we learned growing up. So many of my beliefs and mores are being challenged and rejected today I just want to take these idiots out to the outhouse and shove them in!

[mkjessup]

Actually in Vietnam we simply GAVE UP. IOW, We defeated ourselves. It was a loss of will, and the Democrats in control of Congress then made sure that happened.

"We" as in political leadership, you bet. "We" as in our military establishment? They NEVER 'gave up'. And let's not forget the lack of will from Gerald Ford who confined his efforts to evacuating our people and as many refugees as could climb on board those choppers.

Nixon later said that he would have used tactical nukes to stop the North Vietnamese invasion and violation of those so-called 'Paris Peace Accords' to prevent the fall of the South.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

He is nothing more than a Godless commie.

[StonyBurk]

I ,for one, am EMBARRASSED by Bill Press.If he is so unhappy
with our history Let him go somewhere —like Germany—or the USSR where his politics would be more comforted/less embarrassed by their history and national identity.

[AceMineral]

The Congress at the time would not give any money for weapons to the South Vietnamese. Once the “Watergate Congress” was in in 1974 there was never going to be any help from us for the South Vietnamese.

“America the Beautiful” would make a much better anthem than the current one.

[Daffynition]

I'll gladly donate to him a one-way to Zimbabwe. I understand the exchange rate is terrific. He's guaranteed to love it there.

[Fiji Hill]

Maybe he would prefer this song

Stalin, Friend and Comrade--Ernst Busch, 1949

[Vision]

He must really not like the third verse...

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation.
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave![12]

[Fiji Hill]

“America the Beautiful” would make a much better anthem than the current one.

No, it wouldn't.

[Fiji Hill]

Nixon later said that he would have used tactical nukes to stop the North Vietnamese invasion and violation of those so-called 'Paris Peace Accords' to prevent the fall of the South.

I have never heard this quote. We wouldn't have needed to use tactical nukes--maybe some B-52 strikes on the massed North Vietnamese troops would have been effective, but if Congress hadn't allowed the South Vietnamese to run out of ammo, theur country might have been saved.

I believe that if President Nixon had managed to stay in office, he would likely have ordered B-52 strikes on the North Vietnamese when they launched their final offensive 1975.

[Hacksaw]

Say, Viet Nam. After all, didn’t they beat the United States?

No, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry defeated the United States.