Before tip-off at a recent school basketball game, one of our associates couldn’t help but notice that not everyone stood up during the playing of the National Anthem.
According to our observer, school officials announced the playing of the National Anthem and requested the audience to stand, as is the tradition, but not everybody could be bothered.
Many stood up and appropriately removed their hats. A few slouched to their feet and stuffed their hands in their pockets. A couple others didn’t even pause their conversation.
We’re not ones to stand on ceremony but this bothers us quite a bit. Sad to say, it’s more common than not.
For a country based on the principles of liberty and freedom, our nation doesn’t demand much of us other than we pay taxes and vote in every election.
Other countries have a mandatory national service of some kind, some military, other civil; some countries a combination of both. Given the mood of our country today, we imagine there would be a revolt from both the right and left if someone dared suggest such a thing here.
Currently, the closest thing we have to mandatory national service is the requirement that adult males attaining the age of majority, register for the selective service… of course, we don’t have a draft anymore.
Even so, regardless of what side of the aisle you’re on, whether you like the current administration or not, career military man or an avowed pacifist, we think the least an American can do, the absolute very least – is stand up tall for the country.
It’s literally the very least we can do to honor those who came before us and the sacrifices so many have made for the common good that have brought us this far.
