The kind of stuff you can’t make up:
Tiny Goshen College in Indiana has banned the “The Star Spangled Banner: at all sporting events because the Mennonite school’s president considers the National Anthem’s words to be too violent.
The 1,000-student school had already banned the words last year, but the band could still play the music for patriots in attendance. Now, the school has banned the song entirely, according to NBC Sports.
(Via Memeorandum.) If Goshen College wishes to be even less significant than they already are, they’ve chosen a perfect path to obscurity.
Next year is the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, during which the British bombardment of Fort McHenry inspired the famous words of our national anthem, written by Maryland native Francis Scott Key. It is pathetic that brave men died so that twerps like Goshen College’s president could have the freedom to repudiate their courageous sacrifice.
Though Goshen College is tied to the Mennonite Church, it’s been around for quite a while…now suddenly getting all pacifist ‘n stuff. Dweebs.
Banning the National Anthem? That is a form of treason, I would say.
At the very least grounds for cutting off every cent of government–local, state, federal–funding assistance. Regardless of what some Marxist judge would say.
So they ban a song, calling it ‘too violent’ which they used to play right before two teams beat themselves up on the football field or elbow each other on a basketball court.
Makes perfect sense to me.
If anyone needs me, I’ll be banging my head against my desk in frustration.
I’ve never heard of a school doing that. What I don’t like about our National Athem is that it’s usually sung wrong. Instead of singing it straight, without taking any liberties, the singers make the song about them. Opera singers and singers in the armed forces do it the right way. Actually, I would love to see our National Athem changed to “American the Beautiful”. The words are very meaningful and it’s so much easier to sing.
It’s a free country. They’re free to choose the songs they want to play, and I’m free to not choose them for my education. What’s the big deal?
Land ‘o Goshen!
That’s right, pick on the Mennonite pacifists, they won’t fight back, those Obama-loving atheistic socialists.
This country was built on violence… get used to it
Since they’re Mennonite, it’s unlikely they get government funding of any kind.
That being said, I don’t understand the pacifist mindset. I think it shows as much disdain and disrespect for life as being uncontrollably violent does. Pacifism basically says: My life and the lives of other innocent people around me don’t matter. We’re disposable, willing to let any unjust aggressor end our lives, just so long as we don’t defend ourselves. Our lives are worth less than pacifist ideology. And while I normally have no problem with parents raising their children according to their religious beliefs, I have to draw the line at ideologies that could, and can, do harm; parents who refuse medical treatment to “pray away” illness and parents who’d rather let their children die than raise a hand to protect them.
They’re free — as a religious based college — to do whatever they want. Since I don’t want the government telling Catholic colleges to provide co-ed housing, distribute contraception, or allow LBGTQ club, I have to remain consistent in saying government shouldn’t harass Goshen over this choice, despite as ill advised and backward I find the reasoning and how much I loath radical pacifism.
Likewise, the freedom should be granted to critics of Goshen to articulate why they disagree with this decision.
Mr. McCain, you have no business complaining about this. If you had your wish, your national anthem would be “Dixie” or maybe “Bonnie Blue Flag.” And you are obviously confused about the nature of freedom—it includes the freedom to do stupid things like this.
Obviously, you suffer from Neo-Douche Nozzle Sex Panic.
This is a freedom of speech and religion issue.
Goshen College is a Mennonite Church institution. The Mennonite Church was present before the Reformation and has a long tradition of pacifism. In WWII my three Mennonite uncles did alternative service while my Father was in the Army. Google Mennonite for more information.
I doubt that Goshen College gets no government money.
Leave them alone to represent pacifism in our time. There is nothing wrong with this. Our Founding Fathers would not object to this.
Your description is closer to the truth than you realize. Much of the Mennonite community Goshen belongs to seems to use religion as a foil for their political beliefs rather than any demonstrable conviction.
But then, I’m an alumnus of their more conservative regional arch-rival Grace College&Seminary 😀
Ah – it’s a Mennonite school. Now I understand. There is a Mennonite owned business here that refuses to sell American Flags for the same reason. It’s okay – I just won’t shop there. Which is also okay.