Hosea, Can You See?

The title of this post is actually the punchline to a joke about the National Anthem. Of course, it's a play on the words, "O, say can you see," penned by Sir Francis Scott Key . Our National Anthem, what does it mean to us as Americans?  To me it is a symbol of freedom, of courage, and of the triumph of the human spirit in pursuit of independence. I'm a sap, as I have shared many times before, so it will be no surprise when I reveal that I usually tear up any time I hear it. Last night at the SUPERBOWL, I am sure many people teared up, but not out of a sense of awe or patriotism, they were in pain from the fact that their ears were bleeding from the terrible sound emanating from Christina Aguilera that was supposed to be the National Anthem. I have nothing against Christina Aguilera. In fact, I think she is a very good singer, but she wasn't singing last night. She was screaming. Forget the fact that she messed up the words. If she had gotten every word perfect, it still would have been an affront on the hearing world. First of all, I personally hate it when any artist tries to "pop" up The Star Spangled Banner. It's a difficult song to begin with.  We don't need you riffing all over the place, so that you can somehow fit every note in the scale to show off your vocal range. The song performed just as it was written showcases plenty of vocal range, 1 1/2 octaves. This may be news to Ms. Aguilera, but she was not asked to sing the National Anthem at the SUPERBOWL to make it sound like Genie in a Bottle. In my opinion, being asked to sing the National Anthem for ANY event is an honor, and should be treated as such. NEWSFLASH: It's not even about you. It's about the song itself. It's about respect for the flag and what it represents. I would rather they not even show the singer. The camera should be on the flag. That's where everyone in the stadium is supposed to be looking. So, Christina, if, by some miracle, you are EVER asked to sing the National Anthem again, do us a favor: 1. Learn the words! Write them on your hand, or your sleeve or have a cue card, something and 2. Just sing it straight and simple and clear. We've had it as our anthem for 80 years. We don't need you to improve on it.