A serious question for the Americans

I'm probably liking your country more than most of you are just now but bear with me I have an honest question and I don't want this turning into some stupid argument.

On another forum I'm on there's been a handful of people saying they refuse to stand to the national anthem

and some saying they've won't do business with or won't give repeat business to people who voted for and supported Bush. One went as far as writing a letter to their barber theyd used for 20 years and was a good friends of to tell him he was a piece of scum and had lost a client because he had a Bush sign in his window.

What do you think about both of these reactions?

First thing that comes to my mind is....ridiculous. But I´m not american.

The first word that comes to mind is childish. I don't know what these people hope to accomplish as the end result is not going to change.

I'm not American but I don't think dividing the country even more it's going to help them. I can't see the use either.

Like it or not, people have different opinions

It may be childish, but I won't stand for the national anthem if I have a choice about it (my parents usually make me at my brother's basketball games). Once the country regains my respect ie pulls itself out of the decline that in my opinion it's in, I'll stand with pride. Till then, no way. It's my small way of saying that I'm not one of the mindless masses that jump to attention everytime someone starts in with"oh say can you see..." I firmly believe a lot of the patriot stuff is just conditioning.

Adrian

When I stand, I think about those who have died in the past to ensure our freedom, but that is just me. Because we are free, you have the choice to stand or not. I think about people in other parts of the world, who don't have that choice.

Anthems are quite silly too... I've don't feel anything at all when the national anthem is played and always find it very weird when we see in films Americans taking it so seriously. It must be a cultural thing but it would be no big deal here. In fact I think that the thing to be commented would be if people did take pride in our national anthem

I never understood the concept of standing to a song. But then I grew up conditioned that everything patriotic = BAD.

When I first got here, I didn't even recognize the anthem and thus never stood up - got some ugly ugly looks which kind of clued me in.....

Well i can't say i alway stand up for it when ever i hear it, but at least i try to give respect to the country i born and grow up by being silent when ever i can possible, but not disrespect it.

Every country has their little cultural quirks, and I suppose that is one of ours.