Those Who Are Ignorant of History Are Condemned To Make Fools of Themselves 1
The current hoo-haa over the recent release of a recording of the “Star-Spangled Banner” in Spanish has little to do with reverance for the flag of the United States of America or the nation for which it stands.
Rather, it is a manifestation of xenophobia, bigotry, and, to some extent, racism.
History is full of delightful ironies which prick the balloons of the forces of evil, and the local rag pointed out one of them today:
You can see the official United States translation into Spanish of the national anthem here.
You can see the lyrics of the recent Spanish language release here.
Update:
I just came across this column in today’s Washington Post:
If I’m right about this, and America will sometime be articulating its identity in two languages, then the question looms: How will the citizens of the United States react to this monumental challenge?
One possibility, of course, is a nativist backlash, with more vigilante Minutemen swilling beer in the Arizona sun, more calls for deporting all illegal workers, more demands that an impenetrable wall be built against the foreign hordes, more attempts to dismantle bilingual education in U.S. schools.
But others may tell themselves that the United States has been built on diversity and tolerance and that, at a time when the national soul is indeed being tested, at a time when the democratic ideals at the heart of American identity are truly in danger of being sacrificed on the altar of false security, our better angels should welcome the wonders of Spanish to the struggle and the debate.
May 7, 2006 at 11:31 pm
Clearly there is a need for a bilingual version, which could be called The Star Spanglish Banner.