The US women absolutely dominated in gymnastics last night – I probably could have performed the final routine and gotten enough points to put them over the top.
Then came the medal ceremony and a great tragedy occurred – at least that is what the Twitterverse seems to think. One of the “Final Five” stood on the stand during the national anthem with her hands at her side instead of with her hands over her heart.
The horror.
Social media lit up with people fit to be tied that Gabby hated America, and was publicly disrespecting the Red, White, and Blue. Hey, folks, can we lighten up on social-media scandal-mongering just a little? Need we turn every action into nuclear war?
But here’s the question: Did Gabby do anything wrong?
I went to school a long time ago, and a lot of things have changed since then. But has anthem protocol changed?
We were taught that when we recited the Pledge of Allegiance we were supposed to put our hands over our hearts as these girls are doing. But when the National Anthem played, we were supposed to stand at attention with our hands AT OUR SIDES.
So, according to the way we were taught back in my day, Gabby was the only one observing proper protocol.
But when I raised this on Facebook, Mike Bergman copied a statement from some website that clearly stated that putting your hand over your heart was proper.
Can anyone help me? What happened?
Does anyone else remember being taught the protocol I was taught – hand over heart for the Pledge, hands at your side for the Anthem? Has this changed?
What’s happening here?
United States Code Title 36 §301. National anthem 1.Designation. — The composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem. 2.Conduct During Playing — During rendition of the national anthem —1.when the flag is displayed —1.individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note; 2.members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and 3.all other persons present should face the… Read more »
That is what Mike Bergman showed me.
But all I can say is that we were taught something different “back in my day.”
They changed stuff in 2008, I believe, in reference to non-uniformed vets and saluting.
Couldn’t easily find anything on if they changed code before. Civilian part remained the same.
But from my school days in the 1980s/90s, I only remember the flag etiquette, not the anthem.
I dunno… all I’ve ever heard is that citizens of foreign countries should stand at attention, without saluting of any kind. Everyone else stands at attention, and salutes with either the hand over the heart, or for uniformed (military) members and vets, four finger hand salute.
Something sticks in my mind that the US Code stems from 1923, but I could be wrong.
They added the part about vet being able to salute, not matter how long they had served. In other words, I can salute, even though I no longer wear a military uniform.
Westlaw says it was heavily revised in 1976, a couple of times in the 40s, and it started in the 30s. Unfortunately, I can’t see the pre-1976 versions, so I can’t see what changed at each point.
I graduated high school in 75 and college in 78, so if they made changes in 76 then that would explain it.
My memory isn’t the greatest, but I’m quite sure we were taught to hold our hands at our sides for the anthem back in grade school (in the 60s).
“Westlaw says . . .
Jon beat me to it.
When I was in we were told that placing your hand over your heart is the equivalent of a civilian salute. I don’t know if this has changed, but when I was in Marines never saluted uncovered (not wearing a uniform hat) Except for on a tarmac, Marines were to be covered outdoors and uncovered indoors. Therefore, in uniform indoors we stood at attention for the National Anthem. In civilian attire, we saluted by placing our hand over our heart.
Like you, Dave, “my memory isn’t the greatest” and I honestly can’t remember for certain what I was taught. But I think what we always practiced in school was hand over heart. Like Rick said, I think we also were taught to sing along with the national anthem. I’m only one year behind you (graduation-wise), so it might not just be a generational thing, but perhaps also geographical — that is, that some people in different places may have taught it differently.
As a Marine I was taught 2002-2010 that in uniform or out of uniform we were to stand at attention. No salute, no heart massaging, just stand like a man.
I’ve always been taught that placing ones hand over thier heart is the proper respect for civilians during the national anthem.
Since every other athlete on US teams has placed his/her hand over thier heart – I’m assuming there’s an Olympic team expectation as well. But, that’s an assumption.
I read that there is actually NO instruction given to athletes about behavior during the national anthem, because it is believed that this would violate their freedom.
I’m with you, Dave. Old school here. Hand over heart for pledge. Hands at side for anthem. That’s what I was taught too. You are not alone.
Then again, we used to actually SING the national anthem in public as well. Today, most of the time, we are instructed simply to stand and LISTEN to the national anthem being sung to us—often poorly and with wild variations in musical style. I hope to be with Jesus before we start rapping it.
“often poorly and with wild variations in musical style.”
Thank you. I was in a Marine field band and there was an official version that should not be varied in any way except for cases of reinstrumentation. I don’t watch many sports, but when I do I’m always dismayed by the artistic(?) interpretations of melody and style.
RIck, just for you…
https://youtu.be/ix67meBkBB8
Thank you, Tarheel. I take back 25% of all the bad things I have ever said about you.
Thanks.
Wait. You’ve said bad things about lil ole me??
Unimaginable.
😉
I too have seen it both ways…. must be the age thing.
The remarkable thing is that someone noticed in a culture of bizarreness. I was waiting for MSNBC to blame Trump and spin this into a Russian spy novel. 🙂
Actually, Chris, it was largely Trump people attacking her, from what I saw on Twitter.
See Dave, you are buying into the media hysteria as well! 🙂 Did you retweet?
Just saying, I think that the Trumpeters were well represented in the mob there.
It’s hard to speak for someone else, not knowing their motivation. I do know that Gabby is a committed Christian, and as such might have a conviction that prevents her pledging allegiance to a flag or a country. In my community, we have very many faithful Mennonites who stand for the pledge to the flag/national anthem, but neither repeat/sing it or put their hands over their hearts. And I can’t blame them.
Well, I can and do. Yet, I will defend their right to not pledge allegiance to the Flag of which represents America. But, I don’t agree with their logic, because it is baseless.
To be a patriotic American does not have to in any way diminish one’s loyalty to Christ. The Apostle Paul loved Israel. That’s obvious from reading his letters. However, his love for Christ was not diminished one iota.