Show I I OH SAY CAN YOU Y SEE I Do You Yon Know Kilo the National Anthem By BYRON BYRD It isn't a n moment too soon to be be- begin begin begin gin thinking about the Fourth of July In fact it wouldn't hurt to think a little bit about Labor day One good reason for an early start is the Star Spangled Banner With the world in the shape its it's It ItIn in it behooves us to ap ap- approach approach approach our national anth anth- anthem anthem em cm with at least a mod mod- modicum modIcum y icum scum of familiarity Most b often we attack Mr Keys Key's I poem as though it possessed possessed pos pos- but five words We 1 1 begin resolutely with Oh Ohr r say can you see and then never complete the question See Sec what Our only reply is a mumble And as a for the melody we weare are t anarchistic We mouth along in our gip- gip own independent fashion Ic f throwing in a note here 4 tossing in another there until finally the anthem be be- begins begins gins to take on the appear appear- appearance appearance appearance ance of Fort McHenry after the thc British fleet finished its bombard bombard- bombardment ment The Star Spangled Banner is a good song if you can sing it By beginning our practice now we should be able to sing it by Independence day And while were we're about it It It wouldn't do any harm to brush up upon upon upon on My Country of Thee So many Americans now go to Canada for winter sports and fishing that a disturbing minority of our good citi citi- citizens citizens citi- citi citizens zens end up My Country of Thee with God Save the King Now as friendly as arc the rela rela- relations relations relations existing between England and America and as much as the Ameri AmerI- American can people wish Mr and Mrs George VI a long happy and dis dis- distinguished distinguished distinguished career the fact re re- remains remains re- re remains mains that terminating My Coun Coun- Country Country Country try Ti of Thee with God Save the King is A A. case could be made for it being meta also but being an an- is bad enough and should be sufficient to bring about a speedy end to the whole business Other Good Reasons There are other reasons for think think- thinking thinkIng thinking ing about the Fourth of July early For one thing there is no discipline no efficient preparation pr Our chil chil- children children children dren arent aren't certain if it the Fourth of July Is in commemoration of the Whiskey Rebellion or of the charge up San Juan hill bill and we elders on the other hand are utterly helpless when one of the youngsters asks why James Buchanan was chosen to de de- deliver deliver de- de deliver liver the message to Garcia or who helped the Green Mountain Boys B ys take the Louisiana Purchase from the Indians A touch of American history therefore would not be amiss between now and Independence ence day Then there is the picnic Typical of American fiddle braininess we find that in our hurry we packed our basket with one small bottle of ketchup one Jar of dry mustard mus mus- mustard mustard tard one diaper i ia a tangerine paper napkins 4 pounds of po po- potato potato potato tato chips and a n fit box of paper J l. l clips As for the beverage we discover that the bab bab- babbling babbling babbling bling brook which looked so inviting from the road is little more than a drainage system of a n nearby farmyard farm farm- farmyard farmyard yard and since we neglected to bring bringa a supply of typhoid antitoxin we face an afternoon of steaming coffee al although al- al although although though the heat is driving the mer mer- mercury mercury mercury cury through the rivets of the ther ther- thermometer thermometer thermometer and the humidity Is caus caus- causing causing causIng ing the cuffs culls of our trousers to roll rollup rollup rollup up like rugs Beware the Firecracker There is still another phase of an American picnic that is especially exasperating That is the matter of athletic equipment Whenever we select a shaded fir spot along the rocky shore of a mountain lake we find we have packed our tennis rack rack- racket et catchers catcher's mask and hockey stick On the other hand when our choice is a small grove beside a thistle- thistle dappled field we lift the lid of the rumble scat seat to discover that a last- last minute impulse caused us to pack our outboard motor and a n take-apart take billiard cue we bought one time for forno forno forno no accountable reason in a board board- boardwalk boardwalk boardwalk walk auction house in Atlantic City America someone has said is the I home of the free and the land of the brave This is a n good point But too often many young Ameri Amen Americans AmerIcans cans take advantage advantage tage of their free free- freedom freedom frees s dom to exploit i their bravery This I Is distressingly true during the firecracker season when our children celebrate the Fourth of July that July that Is from May 1 until October 31 The least our public pub pub- public pubIc lic Ic officials could do is pass a law prohibiting children under nine months of age from purchasing and setting oft off of fireworks unless accompanied accompanied accompanied nied bya by a Saint Bernard dog equipped with a fire extinguisher Aside from the fact that genera genera- generation generation generation tion after generation genera tion is growing up with only three thre fingers to a hand and only one ear to a head the setting setting set set- ting oil off of fireworks by children too young to walk constitutes a fire Are haz haz- ard It is easier than one imagines for a baby's burning dress to ignite the curtains The foregoing are examples of what occurs when we permit perm a holi holl- hollday holiday holiday day to catch us unawares like an overdrawn checking account Lets Let's not put off thinking about the Fourth of July another moment |