The Star Spangled Banner

At the Fourth on Broadway today, the Westwinds Brass Band started their concert with The Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem, as they start all of their concerts. There were plenty of flags around, so we could "pick a flag" while the song played. The audience in front of the band stood, as did the audience across the street, in the shade. Some of us sang the song, as has become our habit at the regular Sunday Westwinds Brass Band concerts. The incidental passersby and festival-goers stopped, stood at attention, uncovered, and many had their hands over their hearts.  All except one person, who just wandered through, oblivious to what was happening, and he kept his hat on.  I felt sort of angry, but sort of bad for this person, because he was wandering around like he did not know where he was at or where he was going, but he wandered off.  I probably should have done something but did not even think about it at the time. I hope he is okay. 

O Canada

Tonight I am watching the Stephen Colbert show on CBS http://www.cbs.com/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/.  He did a spoof on O Canada, the Canadian national anthem.  What sparked this is because he said that the Canadian Parliament is changing the anthem to make it gender neutral http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/canada-anthem-gender-neutral_us_57548785e4b0ed593f14b9c8.  The running joke is that Mr. Colbert very often talks about Canada and Canadians.  His comments are jibes at how neutral, polite, self-effacing and unexciting Canadians are.  And how nice they are. Including to people who do not treat them well.  So, someone sang a spoofed up version of O Canada on the show tonight.  And, as I laughed, I told myself while this is funny, it is not very reverent.

Which got me to thinking that being reverent is part of the Boy Scout Law:

Scout Law A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

http://www.scouting.org/About/AnnualReports/PreviousYears/2013/2013_oath_law_mission.aspx
Which got me to thinking that being reverent is not a value that our current society considers to be important. 

Wouldn't our world be much better if we remembered to be reverent?