My major argument with out national anthem is the difficult, awkward melody. Put me in the America The Beautiful camp - beautiful melody, beautiful, poetic lyrics. As for the anti-American flame, without repeating much that's been said, or going into a detailed rebuttal of my own, my message to ur critic here is that one of the strengths of my country's democracy is that it is always evolving and self-correcting. It's more than a set of rules with underlying values, it's a process and a way of life, and a mechanism by which change can be made. For every injustice, there's an ACLU case, for every national policy, a non-governmental organization working to become majority opinion and effect change. This is not just a record of lone voices in the woods. What was once minority opinion has often become majority, and I believe this country has, all in all, been in many cases a force for good, and not by any means all evil. Of course there have been, are, and will be injustices perpetrated by individuals, groups, and at the local, state, and national levels. But again, this country has a powerful process of self-correction, and a process by which competing ideas and values can be worked out, whether in the courts, the legislatuive bodies, or in the streets. It, of course, cannot be taken for granted, and, as any civil liberties activist will tell you, takes constant vigilance.

-chanteyranger