Hand Over Heart
 

So, I guess Barack didn't put his hand over his heart during the national anthem.

http://www.slate.com/id/2177887/?GT1=10636

I never do. It seems fascist. Is this really a big deal to people? I'll stand; I'll take my hat off; but the hand-salute stuff for civilians creeps me out.

Sieg heart! Sieg heart!

What the hades. I am OK with you not doing it, but "it seems fascist"??? Are we moving to that point where not only do people not get ciriticized for not following traditions, but now we move onto using those kind of terms for those that do.

What's next. "What's with people who never burn our American Flag. It's seems like something only right wing skinheads wouldn't do."

I have no problem with others doing it. I just don't like to because it seems to imitate the hand salutes of twentieth-century super-nationalistic fascists.

Put your hand on your heart and say it, say it, say it again.

I don't think it should be a law, but I truly doubt that you can't distinguish the purpose, sentiment and intention of placing your hand over your heart during the national anthem or pledge of allegiance from a sieg heil or a sieg mussolini or whichever fascist salute you're thinking of. Don't misunderstand, you're entitled to your opinion and I don't criticize you for having it, but I think it is based more in youth than anything else (I say this as someone who, some years ago, also refused to engage in this act for similar reasons; for me, it passed).

What about continuing to walk to class while the National Anthem is being played over loudspeakers on campus? What about cutting corners through the grass while doing so?

I attended but one year at BYU and made it a point to not only keep walking but to walk more ostentatiously when they played the anthem. what was my point? Not sure, just felt like doing it. WOuld I do it now? probably not.

I rigged it so that I didn't have any classes that ended at 5PM.

I don't mind the national anthem too much (although yes, I kept walking when they played it at BYU), but the pledge of allegiance is extremely creepy to me. Even ignoring the separation of church and state issues, pledging allegiance to anything, let alone a piece of cloth, seems like something members of an enlightened society would want to avoid.