To: President Donald Trump
"The Star Spangled Banner" Celebrates Death of Slaves! Repeal!
The full text of our national anthem articulates in verse three, a celebration of the death of slaves and is a direct offense to who we are as American citizens; the author of the poem, Francis Scott Key, was also a slaveholder and prosecutor of abolitionists. We are demanding an executive order for the removal of this anthem so we can celebrate a nation who honors all of its citizens regardless of creed, religion, or ancestral ethnicity, and also celebrates the sacrifices made by all men and women in preserving our Constitution.
Why is this important?
Our nation is one that is very diverse in its complex constellation. The national anthem in its full text, celebrates (and calls for) the death of slaves in verse three. When we stand to respect this nation with hands over our hearts, we are directly supporting the spirit of the poem and its author, Francis Scott Key, who was himself a slaveholder as well as a prosecutor of abolitionists. We can no longer in good conscience, stand for a song who denigrates historically or otherwise, any one of our fellow American citizens.