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Words and Music in the Immigration Debate
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WILLIAM LLOYD STEARMAN
Rockville
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The April 28 front-page story "An Anthem's Discordant Notes; Spanish Version of 'Star-Spangled Banner' Draws Strong Reactions" noted that a wide variety of artists have recorded the national anthem and then said that "musicologists cannot name another foreign-language version."
On the Internet, I found "The Star-Spangled Banner" in Yiddish, German, French (a recorded version by a Cajun group) and Samoan. I recall no hullabaloo when the Samoan translation was proposed as a second anthem for American Samoa this year. I also found lots of Spanish renditions, including versions on the State Department's Web site.
KAREN DAVIS
Laurel
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So Roseanne Barr can deliberately mangle the national anthem without causing a political firestorm, but when the anthem is respectfully sung in another language, it's a national crisis?
Last time I checked, English wasn't the official language of the United States. I also remember that our country was founded on the principles of freedom of expression. So as long as the anthem is sung respectfully, I don't see the problem.
Our country was built by people of many ethnic backgrounds working together despite their differences. It is what makes our nation great. Chastising people for translating the anthem into another language flies in the face of our own history.
PHILIP YABUT
Arlington
