Originally posted by joe: Some individuals may express their displeasure with the US war on Iraq by booing the US anthem.
If nothing else, I'd say that is misdirected. A nation's national anthem is a great source of pride. Attack/protest the politics if you must, but don't boo an anthem, or hang a flag upside down.
That's just insulting...especially to a U.S. Citizen.
But what do you expect, they boo the Canadian Anthem in Montreal as well.
"But what do you expect, they boo the Canadian Anthem in Montreal as well"
Good -- and key -- point.
But we're being told what we're doing in Iraq is being done purely in the name of promoting democracy. And we all know that our hard-fought-for First Amendment right to free speech is a crucial lynchpin of the democratic ideal ...
So, does our mixed-message translate to:
The right of free speech only applies to Americans?
That we will not tolerate Canadians (or anyone eles in the world who disagrees with the policies/actions of our government) who also dare to freely speak their mind?
That Natalie Maines (who carries a US passport that documents her identity and her US citizenship) surrendered her right to free speech the moment she left US airspace?
As long as we continue to portray ourselves as world-class hypocrites, how in the hell can we hope to sell anyone on democracy, American-style?
