...And the home of the hypocrites who can't get their story straight

So Goshen College has made it official. The national anthem has been banned due to the "school's president considers the National Anthem's words to be too violent". I fully expect a passive-aggressive comment from an official unofficial representative (it ended up not being very clear which one he was). But in case you were wondering yes I am talking about you.

Image source -> http://www.wbez.org

I guess the irony of why they’re allowed to make unbelievably ridiculous rules like this due to having the freedom that song was referring to.

Also, this doesn’t really bode well for their character when the last time I wrote about them they said this “*Update - they'd like me to mention that they didn't ban it, they're instead asking their president to "find an alternative", and won't be playing it anymore. Somehow that is different.”

Its very easy to sit behind a desk and make rules like this, especially in a closed community like a small private college. But to do it in a nation who created an environment where this is even a possibility, that's a pretty tough sell. 

Last time I had asked them "So is it about the military undertones or about being more inviting to other schools. Either way I really fail to understand the link between the Star Spangled banner not being played and being more welcoming to other, assuming American, sports teams, maybe thats just me". After reading (in the comments for the last post) "He wanted to play the Anthem because he felt that it would be a way to create a better college and be more welcoming to visiting sports teams, their fans, and Goshen students who appreciate the Anthem". I just wanted to make sure that was restated in order to paint a picture how clear their argument appeared to be.

Free speech (which is a stretch here IMO) is one thing, being appreciative of the sacrifices of your Nation’s armed forces is quite another.

From the NBC article linked below:

NBC Sports' Rick Chandler weighed in, saying: "I suppose we could have followed the example of the Mennonites and simply fled, giving the nation back to the British. But then we’d all be playing cricket."

Source -> http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/Indiana-College-Bans-Too-Violent-National-Anthem-128394343.html

Earlier post about Goshen -> http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2011/06/no-national-anthem-allowed-anymore-at.html

Related-ish link -> http://anysoldier.com

No national anthem allowed anymore at pacifist Indiana College

Indiana institution, Goshen College. I really hope that any accreditation and reciprocity with other institutions Goshen already enjoys is lost immediately. The very fact that Goshen has the ability to make such an unpatriotic and ridiculous rule is proof that American freedom rests on the sacrifices that our soldiers both past and present fought to achieve. THAT is what the national anthem means, not war-mongering and not aggression.


I'm all for having an opinion, (most of what this blog is), but making a point to specifically ban* the national anthem is needlessly frivolous, no matter what your stance.

Source -> http://www.wthr.com/story/14851935/no-more-national-anthem-at-pacifist-indiana-college
-> http://www.goshen.edu/news/pressarchive/06-06-11-anthem620.html & http://www.goshen.edu/anthem/ & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goshen_College


*Update - they'd like me to mention that they didn't ban it, they're instead asking their president to "find an alternative", and won't be playing it anymore. Somehow that is different.