There has been a bit of hubbub about a Spanish translation of the Star Spangled Banner. It’s the perfect issue, really. Lots of emotion over a symbol. Everybody can easily have an opinion. No real knowledge is necessary. So, I have one of those easily held opinions.
What’s the big deal? It does no violence to the original, English version to have a Spanish version out there any more than it does violence to the Bible to have English translations of it. A fixation on maintaining the Star Spangled Banner in its original English strikes me as analogous to the insistence by (some?) Muslims that the Koran is valuable only in its original Arabic. I make no arguments about the validity of that belief for the Koran, but for the Star Spangled Banner, it’s primarily the ideas expressed that matter, not the language of expression.
Language is a symbol. Prayer in front of an elected or public assembly is a symbol. The conferate flag is a symbol. These symbols are doors into a consituency’s thinking and taps into an agenda.Who controls the symbols, controls the message and crafts the agenda.
What’s the big deal? It does no violence to the original, English version to have a Spanish version out there any more than it does violence to the Bible to have English translations of it.
You mean the bible was not originally written in English??? If the word of God was not orignally written in English how can God be an American???
Digby over at Hullabaloo has a great post on the phony outrage over the Spanish National Anthem while it is prefectly ok for Republicans to capitalize on the symbolism of the confederate flag inorder to pander to the old dixiecrat vote.
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_digbysblog_archive.html#114627345094026867
Doug wrote:
It does no violence to the original, English version to have a Spanish version out there any more than it does violence to the Bible to have English translations of it.
I know llamajockey already commented on this but I can’t help myself.
That observation might be a bit more than hoisting wingnuts on their own petard. It more closely resembles skewering them with it.
Good show.
I have to admit, I kind of enjoyed that one when I wrote it.