After all, if she was supposed to sing the official national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," then that's ultimately what Ms. Marie should have sung. That's what she promised to do when she was asked to sing at the event, and singing the national anthem at a public event is supposed to be an honor and not a platform for political speech. I happen to find the national anthem a rather moving piece of music, both for the moment in history it captures and its expression of patriotism and loyalty in the face of adversity. These are noble and powerful sentiments and they are for everyone.
Of course, if Ms. Marie is an artist, and she obviously is, then she may see her role as occasionally not doing what is expected but instead doing something to provoke a reaction and discussion. If so, she's succeeded marvelously. This is very far from the biggest deal facing the nation at the moment, but it is an interesting debate. My nationalism is not offended by this, and I do not doubt Ms. Marie's patriotism, either. A part of me kind of admires her for being willing to throw a grenade like this, because that is an artist's role in society.
"Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing" is a beautiful song. But so is "The Star-Spangled Banner."
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