Senate passes English-only anthem resolution

Yes, the United States Senate has given its stamp of approval to one of the most ridiculous ideas ever to ooze from the brain-stem of a Republican.

The Senate approved a resolution late Monday evening stating that the national anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance, the oath recited by immigrants when they are sworn in as citizens and other songs or statements symbolizing national unity should be spoken or sung in English.

"At the opening of the Senate each day, or at a football game, or at a Boy or Girl Scout meeting, we are free to sing or say our national symbols in any language we please, but we ought to sing and say them in our common language, English," said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.

A similar resolution has been introduced in the House by Rep. Jim Ryun, R-Kan.

A Spanish version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" debuted last month, prompting an outcry around the country. President Bush said people who want to be U.S. citizens ought to learn English and learn to sing the national anthem in English.

I guess Republicans really have decided that what this country needs is more cultural polarization.

I weighed in against the English-only anthem resolution when Lamar Alexander introduced it.

Maybe Republicans think that if the national anthem is translated into Spanish, the English-language version will cease to exist. Sort of the way they think that if somebody burns a flag, all flags are somehow damaged. Sure, that's crazy, but not much crazier than introducing a senate resolution calling for the song to be sung only in one language. What does that even mean?

This doesn't make any more sense to me today than it did then.