Pasted from the "That Hat" thread:

In all my life I will never forget the opening moments of her song. I will remember her standing on a portico built by slaves, looking out at the mall and to her right, Pennsylvania Avenue where a scant couple of hundred years ago, there were slave pens and hotels where slaveowners had cells in the basement to "store" their slaves in. I then listened as this "Queen of Soul" started to sing the praises of her country, and when she sang the line, "sweet land of liberty", a tear appeared in the corner of my eye as I thought of all those folks who were denied many liberties for no other reason than what they were born as. Then she sang, "..land where my fathers died..." and the depth of that line, and its multiple meanings for this woman and all folks who remember how so many died..... and I started to sob. Some, as noted in this thread, choose to critique the performance, as did Aretha herself. I choose to listen to the words, and try to intuit what they mean to the singer, and myself, and use them as a means to reach deep into the significance of the event. I find myself pondering what this whole thing means to so many, and on so many levels. For the young ones who did not bear witness during their formative years to the outrages of fire hoses and police dogs, the murder of Martin, Malcom, Medgar, the little girls in the church, young Michael in Mobile, Bobby, John, Michael,James and Andrew in Mississippi, and so many others, .... for these young folks racism is a silly abstract. For those of us who did bear witness it is the beginning of the end of a very long struggle, a major victory along the way to a more perfect union. And for all, the hopes for our country captured in this wondrous family and all our hearts.

Yes, the hat is an eyecatcher. Some will mock, others will explain. But for me it was an expression of a much deeper pride, and for the fearful hope, and a vindication of a people. It was really just a frame for a face that has the depth of the ocean in the times it has come through, and a frame for a voice that was singing with love of country and a dream that has disappointed her so many times.

Why is it, friends, that the folks that have the least reason to express this grace, are the ones that are most filled with it?

Great hat, Aretha.

All the best,

Mick