Written by the lawyer Francis Key (owned servants and represented slaves in freedom cases) after what inspired him at Ft. McHenry, that stanza refers to...

Hireling: A British mercenary
Slave: The British navy practice of excepting former American slaves and forcing them to serve for their freedom. It was a way to hit at the American economy and gain fighting men.

On the American side, it was the free blacks at the Battle of Baltimore that was the cornerstone of a defensive force (1,000 men) that decimated the British Navy (4,500+) which at the time was the worlds most robust! Blacks also fought in militias at Lexington and Concord, Yorktown, and Boston to name a few. Eventually, they were even enlisted in the Continental Army.

---

The point is "How dare Key trash talk the Brits!"

It wasn't trash talking the Brits, it was trash talking the slaves who sided with the Brits. 

Here is the third stanza: 

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a Country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

What he was saying was, the slaves who sided with the British would pay with their lives.  

And really, would you expect a slave to fight for the country that enslaved them?   Of course not.  That's why some slaves sided with the British in the war of 1812.  

Personally, I think iit's kind of obscure and not worth protesting in the 21st century, but there it is.  Interesting history.

There is nothing inherently racist about that statement, he's taunting the defeated British military.

Parapharsed: "Where all those punks who said they were going to whoop us? We wiped the floor with their blood. None who sided with them, neither mercenary nor slave escaped our wrath."

Or, as Monty Python put it:

---

“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

It's the third stanza, for god's sake. I can't think of anything less relevant.

---

Written by the lawyer Francis Key (owned servants and represented slaves in freedom cases) after what inspired him at Ft. McHenry, that stanza refers to...

Hireling: A British mercenary
Slave: The British navy practice of excepting former American slaves and forcing them to serve for their freedom. It was a way to hit at the American economy and gain fighting men.

On the American side, it was the free blacks at the Battle of Baltimore that was the cornerstone of a defensive force (1,000 men) that decimated the British Navy (4,500+) which at the time was the worlds most robust! Blacks also fought in militias at Lexington and Concord, Yorktown, and Boston to name a few. Eventually, they were even enlisted in the Continental Army.

Francis Scott Key told you that?

---

                                                                          

"Why should I give information to you when all you want to do is find something wrong with it?"

It's the third stanza, for god's sake. I can't think of anything less relevant.

Anything related to the Star Spangled Banner is relevant. Are you not patriotic enough to care about our national anthem?

---

It's the third stanza, for god's sake. I can't think of anything less relevant.

Anything related to the Star Spangled Banner is relevant. Are you not patriotic enough to care about our national anthem?

My point being that very few people know a third stanza even exists, let alone know the words.

---

Anything related to the Star Spangled Banner is relevant. Are you not patriotic enough to care about our national anthem?

My point being that very few people know a third stanza even exists, let alone know the words.

Now that we do know the words, it is depressing that people have no idea how to interpret them. It would be nice if history books taught the whole song so kids can understand it as well as the events Francis Scott Key wrote about.

---

Written by the lawyer Francis Key (owned servants and represented slaves in freedom cases) after what inspired him at Ft. McHenry, that stanza refers to...

Hireling: A British mercenary
Slave: The British navy practice of excepting former American slaves and forcing them to serve for their freedom. It was a way to hit at the American economy and gain fighting men.

On the American side, it was the free blacks at the Battle of Baltimore that was the cornerstone of a defensive force (1,000 men) that decimated the British Navy (4,500+) which at the time was the worlds most robust! Blacks also fought in militias at Lexington and Concord, Yorktown, and Boston to name a few. Eventually, they were even enlisted in the Continental Army.

Francis Scott Key told you that?

It's well documented. Perhaps skate away from the internet and pick up a book or two.

---

My point being that very few people know a third stanza even exists, let alone know the words.

Now that we do know the words, it is depressing that people have no idea how to interpret them. It would be nice if history books taught the whole song so kids can understand it as well as the events Francis Scott Key wrote about.

Or just let the obscure lie in obscurity and not try to make a mountain of needless angst out of it.

---

Now that we do know the words, it is depressing that people have no idea how to interpret them. It would be nice if history books taught the whole song so kids can understand it as well as the events Francis Scott Key wrote about.

Or just let the obscure lie in obscurity and not try to make a mountain of needless angst out of it.

But what would I do with all this vicimization-based outrage I have lying around?

---

“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

Or just let the obscure lie in obscurity and not try to make a mountain of needless angst out of it.

But what would I do with all this vicimization-based outrage I have lying around?

One word..

Statues.. Racist statues everywhere..

---

LOL the fact that people are just now discussing this......I've known this since I was a child in the 80's and this is JUST NOW being heard by some. SMH and we wonder why this country is bad word backwards.

---

Francis Scott Key told you that?

It's well documented. Perhaps skate away from the internet and pick up a book or two.

Quick question since im not an American history expert....Didn't Americans force slaves to serve during the Civil War or was that some lie on the internet.

---

LOL the fact that people are just now discussing this......I've known this since I was a child in the 80's and this is JUST NOW being heard by some.  SMH and we wonder why this country is bad word backwards.

---

It's well documented. Perhaps skate away from the internet and pick up a book or two.

Quick question since im not an American history expert....Didn't Americans force slaves to serve during the Civil War or was that some lie on the internet.

Yes, backward country since we don't dwell on obscurity. Good point.

---

Francis Scott Key told you that?

It's well documented. Perhaps skate away from the internet and pick up a book or two.

Francis Scott Key told the people who wrote the books? Or were the authors of the books speculating? 

I'm not saying your explanation isn't logical, but unless there's an actual document written by Key (or quoting him) explaining what he intended, it's all speculation.

---

                                                                          

"Why should I give information to you when all you want to do is find something wrong with it?"

LOL the fact that people are just now discussing this......I've known this since I was a child in the 80's and this is JUST NOW being heard by some.  SMH and we wonder why this country is bad word backwards.

---

It's well documented. Perhaps skate away from the internet and pick up a book or two.

Quick question since im not an American history expert....Didn't Americans force slaves to serve during the Civil War or was that some lie on the internet.

If you were a slave, then by definition you were being forced to serve somebody.  

Do you mean as soldiers?   The answer is, no.  There were no slave soldiers.   The confederacy wouldn't have trusted slaves to hold a gun, and when the Union finally admitted black soldiers into the ranks, they had no shortage of volunteers.

---

It's the third stanza, for god's sake. I can't think of anything less relevant.

Anything related to the Star Spangled Banner is relevant. Are you not patriotic enough to care about our national anthem?

There's nothing sacred about the national anthem.  It didn't come from the Bible.  Someone wrote a few verses, stole the music from another song, and then someone decided "Hey, let's make this the National Anthem."  We can change it if we want, or pick another song entirely, like "America the Beautiful."

Maybe Congress or someone could vote to delete the entire third stanza.

Do you know the original lyrics to "My Old Kentucky Home?"

"The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home.
'Tis summer, the darkies are gay,"

Darkies! They later changed the lyrics. I think that's pretty funny. Of course, someone will probably go to the Kentucky Derby and protest the racist history of My Old Kentucky Home, which they play before the Kentucky Derby.

---

LOL the fact that people are just now discussing this......I've known this since I was a child in the 80's and this is JUST NOW being heard by some.  SMH and we wonder why this country is bad word backwards.

---

Quick question since im not an American history expert....Didn't Americans force slaves to serve during the Civil War or was that some lie on the internet.

Yes, backward country since we don't dwell on obscurity. Good point.

Call it what you want but its definitely been "dwelled" on something if its gotten to this point.  Cops killing out of fear and a President who has legit twitter beefs but thinks his money is what makes him a Man...America...gotta love it.

---

LOL the fact that people are just now discussing this......I've known this since I was a child in the 80's and this is JUST NOW being heard by some.  SMH and we wonder why this country is bad word backwards.

---

Quick question since im not an American history expert....Didn't Americans force slaves to serve during the Civil War or was that some lie on the internet.

If you were a slave, then by definition you were being forced to serve somebody.  

Do you mean as soldiers?   The answer is, no.  There were no slave soldiers.   The confederacy wouldn't have trusted slaves to hold a gun, and when the Union finally admitted black soldiers into the ranks, they had no shortage of volunteers.

---

Anything related to the Star Spangled Banner is relevant. Are you not patriotic enough to care about our national anthem?

There's nothing sacred about the national anthem.  It didn't come from the Bible.  Someone wrote a few verses, stole the music from another song, and then someone decided "Hey, let's make this the National Anthem."  We can change it if we want, or pick another song entirely, like "America the Beautiful."  

Maybe Congress or someone could vote to delete the entire third stanza.  

Do you know the original lyrics to "My Old Kentucky Home?"  

"The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home.
'Tis summer, the darkies are gay,"

Darkies!   They later changed the lyrics.   I think that's pretty funny.  Of course, someone will probably go to the Kentucky Derby and protest the racist history of My Old Kentucky Home, which they play before the Kentucky Derby.

Lets not get too high and mighty when the majority of your accepted Hip Hop artists are down right vulgar when it comes to race and women.. 

So blow it out of your rear with the hypocrisy

---

If you were a slave, then by definition you were being forced to serve somebody.  

Do you mean as soldiers?   The answer is, no.  There were no slave soldiers.   The confederacy wouldn't have trusted slaves to hold a gun, and when the Union finally admitted black soldiers into the ranks, they had no shortage of volunteers.

---

There's nothing sacred about the national anthem.  It didn't come from the Bible.  Someone wrote a few verses, stole the music from another song, and then someone decided "Hey, let's make this the National Anthem."  We can change it if we want, or pick another song entirely, like "America the Beautiful."  

Maybe Congress or someone could vote to delete the entire third stanza.  

Do you know the original lyrics to "My Old Kentucky Home?"  

"The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home.
'Tis summer, the darkies are gay,"

Darkies!   They later changed the lyrics.   I think that's pretty funny.  Of course, someone will probably go to the Kentucky Derby and protest the racist history of My Old Kentucky Home, which they play before the Kentucky Derby.

Lets not get too high and mighty when the majority of your accepted Hip Hop artists are down right vulgar when it comes to race and women.. 

So blow it out of your rear with the hypocrisy

How am I being a hypocrite?

---

Ignorant is racist now? This is why no one in their right mind takes those kind of claims seriously.

And her excuse for being ignorant demonstrates the fact that she is.

Ergo, to some people facts are racist.

Welcome to the Left's Utopia.

The couple in the photo weren't just called "ignorant." You left out a word.

---

If something can corrupt you, you're corrupted already.
- Bob Marley


 

Ignorant is racist now? This is why no one in their right mind takes those kind of claims seriously.

And her excuse for being ignorant demonstrates the fact that she is.

Ergo, to some people facts are racist.

Welcome to the Left's Utopia.

The couple in the photo  weren't just called "ignorant." You left out a word.

He left out a word because you would give him a warning for it.

---