Rene Marie was introduced to sing the national anthem. But that's not what she sang.

[Gingersnap]

Only people that have been enslaved
...well, people's whose ancesters have been enslaved
...by people of a different race
...well, not enslaved by people of a different race, but sold to people of a different race
...within the last couple hundred years
...but only if the enslavers comprise the majority of people in the country
...and by different race we really mean different color
...but the color difference has to be pretty drastic


Ah, screw it, only blacks get a special national anthem.

You so owe me a keyboard. :D

[Vepr]

I just cannot get to worked up over this one. It was silly of her but in the end who cares and I doubt she will get invited to sing the anthem at any other events after that.

[megimoo]

DENVER - Mayor John Hickenlooper's annual State of the City address may get more attention for what wasn't included than what was.

At the start of the event Tuesday morning, City Council President Michael Hancock introduced singer Rene Marie to perform the national anthem.

Instead, she performed the song "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," which is also known as the "black national anthem."

When she finished, the audience responded with mild applause. The national anthem was never performed.

Governor Bill Ritter (D-Colorado) discussed the incident on The Mike Rosen Show on 850 KOA on Wednesday morning, calling it "inappropriate."

"I don't think it's fair artistic expression," said Ritter.

Ritter went on to say he felt Marie's actions were "wrong" and "outside the bounds."

"It certainly is operating as a distraction," said Ritter.

Marie told 9NEWS she kept her plans to switch songs quiet until the very last moment. She says only she, her husband and a friend knew she was going to sing something other than the "Star-Spangled Banner."

She says she wanted to express her love of her country by mixing the lyrics of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" with the melody of the "Star-Spangled Banner."

"When I decided to sing my version, what was going on in my head was: 'I want to express how I feel about living in the United States, as a black woman, as a black person,'" said Marie.

Hickenlooper's staff picked Marie to sing the national anthem. The mayor says he believes Marie did not intend to offend anyone or make a political statement.

When asked if he was offended, Hickenlooper said, "You know I was more confused and I think I was more ? what I was, was disappointed and confused and that's why I wanted to talk to her."

"Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" was written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson in 1899 and set to music by his brother in 1900.

City Councilman Charlie Brown took to talk radio Tuesday afternoon to criticize the absence of the national anthem at the State of the City proceedings.

"There is no substitute for the national anthem, period," Brown said. "And that's what really bothered me. You know when we fly the flag, the American flag, it's always the highest flag, as it should be. And that didn't come across today, that didn't happen today."

http://www.9news.com/news/article.as...4919&catid=339

[Zeus]

The City should withold payment. She did not perform the job she was hired to do.

[megimoo]

The City should withold payment. She did not perform the job she was hired to do.

These critters are Touchie/Feelie liberals, they can't do that !

I love this line "The mayor says he believes Marie did not intend to offend anyone or make a political statement. " Yeah Right,what a sh*t head that guy is !

[Teetop]

Done in ebonics, it would be very humorous. If done "right"...

:)

[gator]

We can expect more disrespect of America by Blacks now that Obama is running. God help us if he wins.

[Gingersnap]

Not enough laugh value for the Lounge. :)

[AmPat]

These critters are Touchie/Feelie liberals, they can't do that !

I love this line "The mayor says he believes Marie did not intend to offend anyone or make a political statement. " Yeah Right,what a sh*t head that guy is !

"Intending" to offend is immaterial when it can be reasonably assumed that the action is/can/ or will be received as offensive. If it wasn't offensive, we wouldn't have known about it.

[sgrooms]

These dumbass reparation morons don't understand that all Americans, including present day Blacks, benefited from slavery.

Slavery is what took our country from being a second rate colony to being an exporting nation. It was the foundation of our wealth.

All Blacks should get down on their knees and thank God their ancestors were slaves. Whites should get down on their knees and thank God that their ancestors had slaves.

It is not politically correct to say it but I don't give a shit.

Thank you, Gator. I wonder how many people feel this way and are just afraid to state it out loud. So many fear the PC police anymore that you can't fart sideways without offending someone.

So sad too. The could be in Africa eating bugs and living on a $100 per year. Thank God they are here by whatever means and living so much better than they could. Somehow that gets lost on them.