Reference to Slavery in the Star Spangled Banner.

FWIW, here are the original lyrics to our national anthem (just scroll down): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner

Anyway, I was surprised by what an African American woman said about the Star Spangled Banner (they were interviewing her on TV, so I don't have a cite). She said she was offended by the reference to Slavery in the original text. (Usually we only sing the first stanza. So the controversial second stanza is usually never sung, or omitted.)

It goes "No refuge could save The hireling or slave, From the terror of flight Or the gloom of the grave" I believe. Now I don't fully get the meaning. (I don't even know what a hireling is.) But how is this offensive?

Keep in mind, I am not contradicting or criticizing what she said. I just want to understand it--and understand this cryptic stanza.

And no offense to Hip board members from other countries. Please join the discussion too .

 

*yawn*

 

It also says at the end "the land of the free" so that cancels out slavery, right?

 

Francis Scott Key was a typical bigot for his day and believed that blacks were inferior to whites

He was upset because blacks decided to join the British army and later he was captured by a band of Black Colonial militia – that was the tipping point for keys.



Hotwater

 

hireling, someone you hire, a wage slave, pretty much anyone who isn't a co-owner, so almost everyone these days, anyone who earns an honest living.
the myth of crapitalism was the idea that everyone could or would have their own mom and pop store front, that sort of thing.
so everyone who goes to work for someone else, everyone who doesn't play the risky game of trying to own and run their own business.

(even managers of franchised store fronts, are hirelings essentially, and every sort of straw boss and middle management too).

"freedom's only privilege extended, unless enjoyed by one and all" - to quote that other nation's anthem.

 

I thought there was already a thread for this.

 

Link ?

 

it's kind of been everywhere lately. there might have been a thread, but i might just remember seeing it on every other internet site instead.

 

https://www.hipforums.com/forum/topic/483710-the-national-anthem-most-people-dont-know-this/

 

Oh yeah. That thread went of the rails and fast.

 

Our principles have obviously changed since those lyrics were written. I think it's very important to remember and make correct the fact that we once had slavery in this country! It's a good thing that they changed the lyrics. Land of the free, home of the brave!

 

I don't know if this is the proper place for it (maybe another thread would be the better place), but why not make "America the Beautiful" the national anthem? It has everything in it, and at least you can sing it.

Unless there is something bad we don't know about "America the Beautiful". Is there?

 

^^^Well, it mentions God, that's bound to piss of some people.