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opinion:
our view
Drop patriotic
tone from games
The nation is drowning in a sea of red, white, and blue. At
every major sporting event since Sept. 11, we have heard renditions
of "God Bless America" on every brass instrument
and vocal range imaginable.
Most recently,
at the Los Angeles Clippers home-opener basketball game, all
fans in attendance were given Clippers season schedules and
the obligatory miniature American flags as they entered the
turnstile. When some declined, looks of disgust were given
all around.
As the sellout
crowd waited patiently for the Clippers to take on the underrated
Golden State Warriors, George W. Bush's friendly face appeared
on the wide-screen so all angles of the Staples Center could
see how proud and supportive he is of the United States.
Give us a break!
We understand that the nation is in the middle of a war. A
war on terrorism. A war against defenseless Afghani villages.
So apparently we, as sports fans, should support the country
and its war efforts. Thirty minutes of pre-game ceremonies
told us so.
We are ridiculed
for not wanting to fly flags from our car windows. We can't
breathe because we are in a constant bubble of patriotism.
Why does it always take a tragedy to make people proud to
be Americans?
We remember when
the seventh-inning stretch at a baseball game consisted of
a hearty rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame,"
accompanied by peanuts and a $10 cup of warm beer.
Now, we are expected
to get teary-eyed about the "land that I love..."
Will we continue
to love this land, a land infested with terrorism, anthrax
and hatred? Will we ever be able to enjoy a sporting event
without some forced American pride intervention?
"... Stand
beside her, and guide her ..."
Guide the country
through a holy war? The world can only wait and see. But we
don't need American pride forced down our throats. Give us
a $10 warm beer at Staples Center instead.
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