Before cheerleading at every sports game, I make it a point to sing the national anthem when the band plays. Even if I am the only one, I whisper Francis Scott Keys’ lyrics to myself, against the bitter winds of late football season and in the echoing gyms during basketball. I hold my right pom pom over my heart and look up at the grand American flag as men remove their hats and parents tell their children to be quiet.
The trumpets kick off the triumphant tune and the flutes hit every high note I can’t. The Star-Spangled Banner has such an emotional melody and meaning that by the time the band rises to a crescendo for the final notes, I can’t help but feel sentimental if not a bit teary.
I like singing the national anthem for a variety of reasons. Beginning with the most insignificant, I just can’t pass up the opportunity to say the word “o’er.” It makes me feel like I should be wearing a cashmere shawl and lacy chemisette from the 1800s—and who doesn’t like to feel fancy?
Second, I enjoy the Star-Spangled Banner because I’m incredibly proud to be an American. After studying abroad in Europe, I returned to America with a renewed sense of patriotism (as well as a healthy dose of criticism, but that’s an entirely different animal). Regardless of America’s debatable status on a global scale, my home is my home and I will love it unconditionally in the same way I love my family—I may not approve of everything it does, but I will support and respect it because of an innate attachment. That is my stance and I know I cannot justify it logically. But then again, what kind of love can be justified logically? I admit my nonexistent reasoning and respect any opinion that finds it strange—it is strange.
Lastly, and most importantly, I love singing the national anthem because it is a reminder that we are all united. This unity goes beyond a shared homeland and forces us to relate to someone we may not otherwise empathize with.
Of course I want my Marysville Bulldogs or Carnegie Mellon Tartans to wipe the floor with the other sports team, but in my fandom I must remember that the opposing team’s players are peoples’ daughters and sons. I must remember that the referee who made an unfavorable call is still a person. I wish people would keep this in mind before taunting and berating the people on the field or the court. A uniform does not make a person devoid of feeling. My old cheer coach told me that an opposing team’s fans once threw bricks at her and her fellow cheerleaders. Bricks.
Even if you are not a patriotic person, you can see how acknowledging a common ground is conducive to mutual understanding. Could you imagine if we were required to sing a uniting anthem before participating in all confrontational acts? What if different denominations had to sing an all-encompassing religious hymn before condemning one another? What if countries had to sing a world anthem before engaging in international affairs? Perspective is a priceless commodity that we neglect far too often, even in comparatively smaller settings like sports stadiums.
My motivation for singing the national anthem is rooted in both my love for my country and my respect for humanity. However, I hope I will always remember to sing a song to myself in times of conflict beyond sports events.