Happy Birthday America!

[Grom 0]

America, there's still no place like home.

May God continue to provide us with many more years of greatness.

 

 

Below are the words to a few of America's greatest songs of patriotism.

 

The Star Spangled Banner

Francis Scott Key

 

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

 

 

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:

'Tis the star-spangled banner!  Oh long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

 

 

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 washed out their foul footsteps' 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!

 

 

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto:  "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

 

 

America the Beautiful

Words by Katharine Lee Bates,

Melody by Samuel Ward

 

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

 

O beautiful for pilgrim feet

Whose stern impassioned stress

A thoroughfare of freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

 

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife.

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine!

 

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

 

O beautiful for halcyon skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the enameled plain!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till souls wax fair as earth and air

And music-hearted sea!

 

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,

Whose stem impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till paths be wrought through

wilds of thought

By pilgrim foot and knee!

 

O beautiful for glory-tale

Of liberating strife

When once and twice,

for man's avail

Men lavished precious life!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till selfish gain no longer stain

The banner of the free!

 

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till nobler men keep once again

Thy whiter jubilee!

 

God Bless America

 

Irving Berlin, 1918; revised 1938

 

Intro (spoken):

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,

Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,

Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,

As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

|: God bless America, land that I love

Stand beside her and guide her

Through the night with the light from above

From the mountains

To the prairies,

To the ocean white with foam

God bless America,

My home sweet home. :|

 

 

Happy Independance Day America! :P

[Dumbass 0]

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Gentlemen, start yer engines!!

[FredM 0]

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Gentlemen, start yer engines!!

Hey there,

 

The worst part is, the lack of knowledge by many about the "Home of the Brave." In a day and age when half the time people can't name the three branches of the government, I am scared to think these same people have the ability to vote.

[Dumbass 0]

The worst part is, the lack of knowledge by many about the "Home of the Brave." In a day and age when half the time people can't name the three branches of the government, I am scared to think these same people have the ability to vote.

Well, that's a good point.  The offseting factor, however, is while the ignorant masses CAN vote few of them actually DO vote.  Every year people complain about voter apathy but I think voter ignorance is the larger problem.  

 

Look at the countries that have experimented with mandatory voting.  It doesn't lead to better decisions or even better decision makers.  I would much rather see those who suspect they are ignorant of the issues stay at home and let the "experts" decide things than make uninformed decisions.

 

The Founding Fathers knew that a democracy can only function if the body politic makes a proactive effort to study the issues AND involve themselves in the process in a more substantive way than going to the polls once in 4 years.  Sadly that is not happening.  However, the alternative of forcing people to participate when they don't really want to is even worse.

[Grom 0]

The worst part is, the lack of knowledge by many about the "Home of the Brave." In a day and age when half the time people can't name the three branches of the government, I am scared to think these same people have the ability to vote.

Vanroy hit it on the head, they just don't care.  Except for a brief wake up during the 9/11 bombings, America has almost been walking in a zombified state since the second World War.  Today, America has turned over and hit the snooze once again, everyone going about their routine while their country and world change around them.  

 

What does it take? I really don't know, and I don't think the answer is simple.  I don't really think voter education is the answer, either.  It's one thing to learn about something, it's another to be actually affected by something.  Americans seem to only care if their personal lives are interrupted or interfered with.  Even 9/11 was far removed from most Americans' lives. ::Shrug::  

 

Happy 4th!

[LoAmi 0]

Whatever this case, this country may not be perfect, and may still have problems -- she surely has overcome many, internal and external, in her 227 year history; but --

take a moment to think about how great it is to be able to discuss them freely in the proving grounds of the modern republic!

 

Happy Independence Day to All Americans!

[Grom 0]

 

 

 

[ensign_Stron 0]

Wow I never relized those songs had so many other verses, very interesting, just proves how impatient americans are these days, they only sing like the first verse of most of those. Happy Fourth of July   :P

[ensign_Stron 0]

By the way GromVik i love your avatar very cool, if not entirely true of some americans   :P

[Images 0]

Oh yes, independence day, one of these special days for you colonials isn't it? How very quaint, delightful. But seriously when are you going to realise that you've got to go back to British rule?

 

just kidding.

Happy July 4th all you yanks! Have a good one and don't go too nuts.

[FredM 0]

Oh yes, independence day, one of these special days for you colonials isn't it?

Hey there,

 

And isn't the world grateful? I mean, after all, if the "rebel warmongering" United States didn't exist....the British might have vanished off the face of the globe in the 1900's. I mean, with Hitler and all.... :wink:

[Dumbass 0]

Oh yes, independence day, one of these special days for you colonials isn't it? How very quaint, delightful. But seriously when are you going to realise that you've got to go back to British rule?

 

just kidding.

Happy July 4th all you yanks! Have a good one and don't go too nuts.

This comes from someone who lived under imperial Brittish rule himself and now lives under communist China rule.

[Images 0]

oh dear, i feel an airlock accident coming at me like a steam train.

[Nemesis 0]

remember fred that america didn't win the war the allies won the war and every country did their part ::spoken like a true canadian::

[Travis Kroells 0]

Oh yes nemesis, theres no I in team but what wait.....USA....Theres an A in team....

[FredM 0]

remember fred that america didn't win the war the allies won the war and every country did their part ::spoken like a true canadian::

Hey there,

 

Perhaps, but let's not forget that before the United States of America entered World War II the "Allies" were losing and slowly nearing defeat. :D

[Nemesis 0]

it was more like a stalemate it didnt get truly bad until the americans came then changed which is actually sort of weird

[FredM 0]

it was more like a stalemate it didnt get truly bad until the americans came then changed which is actually sort of weird

Hey there,

 

I believe those in the United Kindgdom in early 1941 would have disagreed...as well as those in Russia. :/

[Nemesis 0]

RUSSIA RULES

[VileRomulan 0]

and happy belated birthday to me, sorry I haven't been on the forums much, I just don't have much computer time to my name, also I'm helping my buddy over at newgrounds overhaul some new graphics and coding which is VERY time consuming, then theres my job, bleh, neways, I'll try and get on here alot more