'god bless america' song

Is it the law that you must stand during the singing of this song at sporting events?

What are your thoughts about this?

I recently read a story about 3 high school teens who were kicked out of a minor league baseball game for not standing during the song.

link to story

Curious what others think of this..

Re: 'god bless america' song

I don't think it's a law and there have been times I was in the bathroom at Yankee stadium and I sure as heck wasn't standing.

Re: 'god bless america' song

i would think it's a custom to stand for the national anthem, not a law. but i have never heard anything for god bless america.

some people take things too far IMO

Re: 'god bless america' song

God Bless America is not the national anthem (that is The Start Spangled Banner). Definitely not a law that you need to stand up for a patriotic hymn, though I suppose if a jurisdiction wanted to try to pass a law like that they could, but it would be shot down faster than you can say "lawsuit."

Re: 'god bless america' song

I'd say the kids are correct. Their rights are violated but I'm not sure how that plays out in a stadium. They probably have the right to eject anyone from their grounds just as much as I have the right to kick someone off my property.

But to the author of the article, a little fact checking. People have been standing to this song since I've been going to baseball games.

"It is a matter of etiquette and, since the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks eight years ago Friday, almost a test of one's patriotism."

Re: 'god bless america' song

Message edited 9/16/2009 4:00:47 PM.

Re: 'god bless america' song

Re: 'god bless america' song

I ask because I've always stood for the national anthem when it's played at the beginning of a game - out of respect and because it's the right thing to do.

However, I usually do not stand during God Bless America when i'm at a stadium where they play it (they don't play it at Mets games) usually because i'm in line for beer but also because it's NOT the national anthem.
I think if someone tried to tell me that i wasn't a good american, or tried to eject me from the park because of it, i'd be absolutely LIVID and would raise all helll

Re: 'god bless america' song

This news article gives ONE side of the story and cites the Complaint. It gives no direct quotes from the stadium or the team's President, just what the teens ALLEGE was said.

I have a feeling there is a lot more to this story than just the fact that they were sitting. JMHO.

Re: 'god bless america' song

I think standing and removing your hat for God Bless America takes away from the National Anthem.

Whenever I am at a Yankees game, I stand but I do not remove my hat for God Bless America. And I only stand so I don't create a scene because it is inevitable that someone there will yell at those who don't stand. It is a Pop song. Just because it mentions god and America doesn't mean that it deserves special reverence.

There was a guy who was kicked out of Yankee Stadium for trying to go to the bathroom during God Bless America. It was in Newsday last year.

Re: 'god bless america' song

Re: 'god bless america' song

There is no code of ethics for the singing of God Bless America. There is, however, a special code for the use of the Star Spangled Banner, but even that's not a law.

Re: 'god bless america' song

In case anyone is interested, this is the code for singing the National Anthem.