The author’s intention and moral stand as a patriotic American are explicitly stated. He gives background data on how all this started, playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” during World War I, then after 9/11. …show more content…
I concur with Strangis about paying professional sports teams to market the military which makes it sound like there is an underlying motive and that raises a lot of red flags. There is no need to pay sports bodies to honor the people that have already sacrificed so much, this money should be put towards readapting them. The article makes me think about the upcoming world Olympics in Rio. I would not see it as compulsory patriotism if an athlete wins a medal for their country and they are handed their country’s flag, which they will flaunt around for everybody to see, their national anthem is then played and in that moment that is a source of national pride, what is displayed is the country’s values and beliefs that serve as an manifestation of national pride. I believe one of the ways the government socializes its citizens is through sports in order to promote values and norms that bring out national unity and pride. We celebrate the sacrifices made by soldiers by singing the national anthem and waving the flag in honor of them. Just like Olympian medalists, the soldiers too work hard so valuing their achievements by singing the national anthem which takes up only two minutes of our time is perhaps a reminder to all of us to not take things for