AMERICA

THERE WAS A LAWYER ONCE. HIS NAME WAS FRANCES SCOTT KEY. HE PENNED A SONG THAT I’M SURE YOU’RE AWARE OF. YOU’VE SEEN IT. IT’S IN MOST HYMNALS THROUGHOUT OUR CHURCHES. IT’S CALLED THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. IT IS OUR SONG AS AN AMERICAN.

WE GO HOWEVER TO A BALL GAME - WE STAND IN OUR CHURCH SERVICES AND WE SING THE WORDS OF THAT SONG. THE WORDS FLOAT OVER OUR MINDS AND LIPS. WE DON’T EVER REALIZE WHAT WE’RE SINGING. MOST OF US HAVE MEMORIZED IT AS A CHILD. BUT WE’VE NEVER REALLY THOUGHT WHAT IT MEANS.

LET ME TELL YOU A STORY :

FRANCES SCOTT KEY WAS A LAWYER IN BALTIMORE. THE COLONIES WERE IN ENGAGED IN VICIOUS CONFLICT WITH THE MOTHER COUNTRY BRITAIN. BECAUSE OF THIS CONFLICT AND THE PROTRACTEDNESS OF IT THEY HAD ACCUMULATED PRISONERS ON BOTH SIDES.

THE AMERICAN COLONIES HAD PRISONERS AND THE BRITISH HAD PRISONERS. THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT INITIATED A MOVE. HE WENT TO THE BRITISH AND THEY SAID “LET US NEGOTIATE FOR THE RELEASE OF THESE PRISONERS” THEY SAID “WE WANT TO SEND A MAN OUT TO DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU.”

THEY WERE HOLDING THE AMERICAN PRISONERS IN BOATS ABOUT 1000 YARDS OFF SHORE. THEY SAID “WE WANT TO SEND A MAN NAMED FRANCIS SCOTT KEY. HE WILL COME OUT AND NEGOTIATE TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE A MUTUAL EXCHANGE.”

ON THE APPOINTED DAY, IN A ROWBOAT, HE WENT OUT TO THIS BOAT AND HE NEGOTIATED WITH THE BRITISH OFFICIALS. THEY REACHED A CONCLUSION THAT MEN COULD BE EXCHANGED ON A ONE FOR ONE BASES.

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY, JUBILANT WITH THE FACT THAT HE HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL, WENT DOWN BELOW IN THE BOAT AND WHAT HE FOUND WAS A CARGO HOLD FULL OF HUMANITY --- MEN. AND HE SAID “MEN, I GOT NEWS FOR YOU TONIGHT. YOU’RE FREE!” HE CONTINUED, ”TONIGHT I HAVE NEGOTIATED SUCCESSFULLY YOUR RETURN TO THE COLONIES. YOU’LL BE TAKEN OUT OF THIS BOAT, OUT OF THIS FILTH, OUT OF YOUR CAIN’S.”

AS HE WENT BACK UP ON BOARD TO ARRANGE FOR THEIR PASSAGE TO SHORE THE ADMIRAL CAME AND SAID, “WE HAVE A SLIGHT PROBLEM --- WE WILL STILL HONOR OUR COMMITMENT TO RELEASE THESE MEN BUT IT WILL BE MERLE ACADEMIC AFTER TONIGHT. IT WON’T MATTER.”

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY SAID, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” THE ADMIRAL REPLIED, “WELL MR. KEY, TONIGHT WE HAVE LAID AN ULTIMATUM UPON THE COLONIES. YOUR PEOPLE WILL EITHER CAPITULATE AND LAY DOWN THE COLORS OF THAT FLAG THAT YOU THINK SO MUCH OF OR YOU SEE THAT FORT RIGHT OVER THERE --- FORT HENRY? WE’RE GOING TO REMOVE IT FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH.” FRANCIS SCOTT KEY SAID, “HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT?” THE ADMIRAL SAID, “SCAN THE HORIZON OF THE SEA.” AND AS HE LOOKED HE COULD SEE HUNDREDS OF LITTLE DOTS. THE ADMIRAL CONTINUED, “THAT’S THE ENTIRE BRITISH WAR FLEET. ALL OF THE GUN POWER, ALL OF THE ARMAMENT IS BEING CALLED UPON TO DEMOLISH THAT FORT. IT WILL BE HERE WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE IN A MATTER OF ABOUT TWO AND A HALF HOURS. THE WAR’S OVER, THESE MEN WOULD BE FREE ANY WAYS.

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY SAID, “YOU CAN’T SHELL THAT FORT! THAT’S A LARGE FORT. IT’S FULL OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN. : IT’S PREDOMINATELY NOT A MILITARY FORT!” THEY SAID, “DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT --- WE’VE LEFT THEM A WAY OUT.” HE SAID, “WHAT’S THAT?” THE ADMIRAL RESPONDED, “DO YOU SEE THAT FLAG WAY UP ON THE RAMPART? WE HAVE TOLD THEM THAT IF THEY WILL LOWER THAT FLAG THE SHELLING WILL STOP IMMEDIATELY AND WE’LL KNOW THAT THEY SURRENDERED AND YOU’LL BE UNDER BRITISH RULE.”

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY WENT DOWN BELOW AND TOLD THE MEN WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. AND THEY SAID “HOW MANY SHIPS?” HE SAID, “HUNDREDS!” THE SHIPS GOT CLOSER. FRANCIS SCOT KEY WENT BACK UP ON TOP. HE TOLD THE PRISONERS BELOW “MEN I’LL SHOUT DOWN TO YOU WHAT’S GOING ON AS WE WATCH.”

AS TWILIGHT BEGAN TO FALL AND AS THE HAZE HUNG OVER THE OCEAN AS IT DOES AT SUNSET. SUDDENLY THE BRITISH WAR FLEET UNLEASHED ---- BOOM / BOOM / BOOM FRANCIS SCOTT KEY SAID, “THE SOUNDS WERE DEAFENING. THERE WERE SO MANY GUNS. THERE WAS NO RELIEVES.” HE SAID, “IT WAS ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE TO TALK OR HEAR” “SUDDENLY THE SKY ALL THOUGH DARK WAS SUDDENLY LIGHT.” HE CONTINUED, “FROM DOWN BELOW ALL HE COULD HEAR THE MEN, THE PRISONERS, SAYING WAS “TELL US WHERE THE FLAG IS” “WHAT HAVE THEY DONE WITH THE FLAG?” “IS THE FLAG STILL FLYING OVER THE RAMPART? --- TELL US!”

ONE HOUR --- TWO HOURS --- THREE HOURS INTO THE SHELLING. EVERY TIME A BOMB WOULD EXPLODE AND IT WOULD BE CLOSE TO THE FLAG. THEY COULD SEE THE FLAG IN THE ILLUMINATED RED GLARE OF EACH BOMB AND FRANCIS SCOTT KEY WOULD REPORT DOWN TO THE MEN BELOW. “IT’S STILL UP!” “IT’S NOT DOWN!”

THE ADMIRAL CAME AND HE SAID, “YOUR PEOPLE ARE INSANE! WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH THEM? DON’T THEY UNDERSTAND THIS IS AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION?”

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY SAID, “HE REMEMBERED WHAT GEORGE WASHINGTON HAD SAID --- HE SAID, “THE THING THAT SETS THE AMERICAN CHRISTIAN APART FROM ALL OTHER PEOPLE IN THE WORLD IS HE WILL DIE ON HIS FEET BEFORE HE’LL LIVE ON HIS KNEES.”

THE ADMIRAL SAID, “WE HAVE NOW INSTRUCTED ALL THE GUNS TO FOCUS ON THE RAMPART AND TO TAKE THAT FLAG DOWN.” HE CONTINUED . . . “OUR RECONNAISSANCE TELLS US THAT THAT FLAG HAS BEEN HIT DIRECTLY AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN AND YET IT’S STILL FLYING. WE DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT? "BUT” HE SAID, “NOW WE ARE ABOUT TO BRING EVERY GUN, FOR THE NEXT THREE HOURS, TO BEAR ON THAT POINT.” FRANCIS SCOTT KEY SAID THE BARRAGE WAS UNMERCIFUL. ALL THAT HE COULD HEAR WERE THE MEN DOWN BELOW PRAYING THE PRAYER, “GOD KEEP THAT FLAG FLYING WHERE WE LAST SAW IT”

SUNRISE CAME --- HE SAID THERE WAS A HEAVY MIST HANGING OVER THE LAND BUT THE RAMPART WAS TALL ENOUGH --- THERE STOOD THE FLAG. COMPLETELY NON-DESCRIPTIVE IN SHREDS. THE FLAG POLE ITSELF WAS AT A CRAZY ANGLE BUT THE FLAG WAS STILL AT THE TOP.

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY WENT ABOARD AND IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO FORT HENRY TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. ' AND WHAT HE FOUND HAD HAPPENED WAS THAT THAT FLAG POLE AND THAT FLAG HAD SUFFERED REPETITIOUS DIRECT HITS AND WHEN IT HAD FALLEN THAT MEN, FATHERS, WHO KNEW WHAT IT MEANT FOR THAT FLAG TO BE ON THE GROUND ALL THOUGH KNOWING THAT ALL THE BRITISH GUNS WERE TRAINED ON IT WALKED OVER AND HELD IT UP HUMANLY UNTIL THEY DIED. THERE BODIES WERE REMOVED AND OTHERS TOOK THEIR PLACE.

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY SAID WHAT HELD THAT FLAG POLE IN PLACE AT THAT UNUSUAL ANGLE WERE PATRIOT’S BODIES. HE PENNED THE SONG: