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Interesting article. Of course ending with a question seems quite appropriate to me, for the maintenance of liberty is an ongoing task and the duty of each generation. A task we seem to be failing at for the moment. It's the question that's wrong - not does the flag still fly, but is the country over which it flies still the land of the free? Thus, the real oddity to me is that the song is not essentially about the country, but the country's flag, and furthermore that it commemorates a battle in a war that is frankly hard to chalk up to anything but a loss. I have always loved America the Beautiful, and yes, it would make a good anthem. It is a bit slow, a bit melancholy in its sound - not unlike God Save the King/Queen, but it's a good song and more fitting. God Bless America was perhaps the best choice - a robust, positive tune with a great message about divine guidance...of course such open religiosity is impossible these days. I would prefer either to the Star-spangled Banner. In the end though, how fitting for modern America to have an anthem devoid of references to God... written by a lawyer.

It isn't devoid of references to God.

And it was actually adopted in 1916.

As for lawyers, SOMEBODY had to defend Sam Houston!