Double Amputee War-Vet Sets Straight Writer Who Called for Anthem To Be Banned at Sporting Events
Joey Jones, a double amputee and retired Marine Corps bomb technician, schooled USA Today on the importance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” after the outlet published a column calling for a ban on the national anthem.
Nancy Armour, columnist for USA Today, asserted that it’s “time to stop playing (the) national anthem at sporting events” in a column published Thursday.
Armour conceded that the anthem has brought Americans together in times of war and crisis, but she argued that “it will take a lot more than a song to bridge this country’s great divide.”
“Playing the anthem before our football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer games has become a lazy excuse for patriotism,” Armour added.
The columnist also bemoaned people texting, talking and even vaping during the song, which is a fair complaint.
However, as Jones pointed out on “Fox & Friends” Friday morning, those aren’t good reasons to get rid of the anthem at sporting events.
“It’s not faux patriotism. She makes some good points. We get lazy about it, and nothing bothers me more than when someone’s walking around and chewing gum or like she said, hitting one of those smoke machines during the national anthem,” Jones said.
“But at the end of the day, isn’t that more reason why we should demand or at least put societal pressure on one another to respect it, stop what you’re doing for a moment and remember, hey there are men and women that lost their lives for this?”
That hits the nail on the head. Some people don’t respect the national anthem or the American flag, but removing such traditions from sporting events will only exacerbate the problem.
Additionally, Jones contradicted Armour’s argument that the national anthem doesn’t have the same impact it does in times of crisis or war. The anthem is still powerful for many people today, including Gold Star families.
“One thing I would say to her is that when I’m at one of those sporting events, it means something to me. When Gold Star moms and dads are at those events it means something to them,” Jones said. “And for that reason alone, it’s something that we should continue to do.”
But Armour believes that if we “truly want to honor” veterans, then we would focus on “ensuring our veterans have adequate health care” and improving “underperforming schools.”
As Jones said, those issues can be discussed while also coming together for the national anthem before football games.
“We can talk about vouchers and school choice and all those things that would remedy those problems. But for a moment, why don’t we come together before a sporting event?” Jones asked.
Before the national anthem became politicized and leftists started protesting it, the song represented a few minutes for Americans to forget their tribalism and come together to honor our country and veterans.
The national anthem is an important reminder that we’re all Americans, and there are brave men and women fighting for our freedom every single day.
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