Students at Lincoln Memorial Told to Stop Singing National Anthem

Wrong. Or should I be allowed to go to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and start singing Broadway show tunes?

I'm not saying they should have been stopped from singing BUT . . . what they were doing is extremely weird. I can't count how many times I've been to the Lincoln Memorial and I've never seen anyone burst out into patriotic song. WTF? That's such a strange thing to do that I feel comfortable classifying it as a demonstration. Some of you are acting like it's totally appropriate to do this at a national memorial. I guarantee that if you'd been there you would have been completely taken aback by it. What's next, we break out the Anthem when we walk by the Post Office?

The Tomb of the Unknowns is a bit different case. It's a, y'know, Tomb. In a cemetary. Like with honored dead. Be respectful.

The Lincoln Memorial is like a county fair. Ever been to it? Lots of laughing, carrying on, festive atmosphere, like that.

Then go a couple hundred yards and you're at the Vietnam Memorial, which is like being on a different planet from the Lincoln. Amazing.

No, when you walk by the Post Office you're supposed to sing "Video Killed the Radio Star".

As long as it's done respectfully, I don't have a problem with the National Anthem being sung at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

It's a National Cemetery for military personnel who served their country. I think those veterans would be honored by a display of patriotism.

Roseanne Barr would have to be tasered and shot. :headshot:

What part of the word "Memorial" don't you understand? And I have been there, multiple times, and there was never any laughing, carrying on, or festive atmosphere, let alone like a country fair. I guess I missed the tilt-a-whirl ride when I was there.

Here's a pic I took of the view from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial:

I'd do my Elvis impression of Return to Sender.

singing the national anthem is "being awful"?

I mean - it's POSSIBLE, Rosanne proved that...but in general?

The only thing that really bothers me about this story is the implication that the Anthem is somehow not "content neutral"

If they had said "we have a noise restriction, unless you have a permit" or some such - fine. but they gave the game away when they went with the "content neutral" bit.

Buy the way, clearly they DO allow noise and such - because Beck's big rally is going to be, as he put it, "At the feet of Abraham Lincoln" on 8/28 - i'm sure that won't be a quiet contemplative event. (and sure as hell not content neutral)

So I expect there is a permit system of some sort.


Oh, one other thing - someone mentioned "move 25 paces" - so the point is that you can make noise and not be content neutral 30 feet away from the place where they were standing? how would that maintain the "quiet contemplation"?


bottom line - I'm not outraged, I'm not looking for commies under my bed, but yeah - it was obviously a stupid play.

IF it was an innocent mistake, then it's over with in five minutes and you simply advise them they shouldn't do that sort of thing again AFTER it's done, and explain why.
On the other hand, if they were, as some allege, pulling a stunt to gain notoriety and create a shitstorm - then stopping them gave them EXACTLY what they came for. Either way, bonehead move.

Yes, but it is even easier to sing "Barak hussain obama, mmm,mmm,mmm" than it is to sing American the Beautiful"

Agrees. There's a helluva difference between singing at the Tomb of the Unknowns and singing in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Although to be honest, I can't see where singing the National Anthem would be disrespectful at the former either.

Refresh my memory: What Broadway musical was "The National Anthem" from?

Well it was put to the music from a British drinking song. Which reminds me, aren't drinking songs supposed to be easy to sing? What the hell, Brits?

You fuggin stupid...

Yeah, yeah, sure, the anthem is awful, and so is anyone who likes it.
Also, I'm the devil, and I hate capitalism so much, I tip waitresses with turds.

In a perfect world, this headline would have read: "Park Police Beaten By Supervisor, Told To Voice Their Merit-Neutral Opinions Off The Clock."

What utter nonsense. Everyone knows WE get all your turds.

I think the park police should be compelled to explain exactly what is non-neutral about the national anthem, then they might have a point. Sounds like the park police are playing politcs.

Silly, people who hate America are going to be offended by it. You don't want to make the Mall of our America's capital city offensive to people who hate America, do you?

I can't wait until Beck and his group show up.

The Park Police are already dicking around on the bathrooms issue. They won't let the sponsors of the group put in extra bathrooms.

It all has to be done be registered buses. So you have to register a bus in order for them to place more bathrooms.

However, in the article they were not asked to "quiet down" because they were breaking the quiet rule. They were asked to stop singing because our national anthem isn't a neutral song! Now the Star Spangled Banner is controversial!

Not hard to sing at all if you learn to read music and actually hit the F and not dance around it, Mariah Carey!

Well, I'm glad they prevent people from using the Lincoln Memorial for politically-oriented statements.