This past weekend I had the pleasure to photography a gymnastics event in Saint Louis. I’ll be blogging about it in a few days but, while I was there something happened that really caused me to think.

I was there this past Saturday and Sunday. During those two days there were 7 different sessions the national anthem was to be played at the beginning of all 7. It was played five times.

I asked one of the people why? The fiddle player (who was amazing) was there and ready, why did we not have it played? She responded…well… different matches were going to start at different times so we did not want to do it? I looked around the gym.. no one had started to compete and just said that and she said well, “we just need to be flexible”! WE need to be flexible and WE did not want to do it…I wonder who WE were? As far as I could tell, the only people that noticed were a few other photographers gathered around me and WE did not think it was cool!

So the day ended with two sessions not having the anthem played.

The next day I spent those 3 sessions during the anthem being played watching. As the lady played an amazing tune on her electric fiddle, I noticed many of the gymnasts did not put their hand right hand over their chest. The judge standing next to me did not either. Two woman in charge of the event, and ironically one of the WE people who decided not to play the anthem the night before fidgeted and fixed her hair during the song. Another woman pledged her allegiance to the fiddler with the flag behind her. I noticed a muslim woman in the crowd who stood to acknowledge the flag and a military man standing a few feet away saluting. I saw bikers standing at attention with right hands over their heart and I watched a group of about 10 boys with a coach stand directly in front of me with no hand over their heart.

So, is it optional? I tried to recall at the last baseball game did we honor the flag in the same way? or did we just stand. I wondered that once this young generation before me grew up would they even see a need for the national anthem? I wondered how many of them even know what it was or why we put our hand over our heart.

I came home and asked my husband “So, they play the national anthem, where do you put your hand?” He replied “at my side”. I wanted to kick him off the couch!

So, it began, I went to the internet and found this: Wikipedia: The Star Spangled Banner

Included in that article is this:

Custom
United States Code, 36 U.S.C. § 301, states that during a rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart; men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold the headdress at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note; and when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed. Recently enacted law in 2008 allows military veterans to salute out of uniform, as well.[15][16]
However, this statutory suggestion does not have any penalty associated with violations. 36 U.S.C. § 301 Moreover, generations of students who were introduced to flag etiquette prior to its enactment in 1998 were taught that the hand over the heart gesture was exclusively for the Pledge of Allegiance which has had the statutory requirement for much longer.(4 U.S.C. § 4)[citation needed] This behavioral requirement for the national anthem is subject to the same First Amendment controversies that surround the Pledge.[17] For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to stand for or sing the national anthem.[18][19][20]

Here is the link to USC 36

Now my husband made a good point and highlighted for me the papers I left him that I found on the internet and it states:

Moreover, generations of students who were introduced to flag etiquette prior to its enactment in 1998 were taught that the hand over the heart gesture was exclusively for the Pledge of Allegiance which has had the statutory requirement for much longer.(4 U.S.C. § 4)[citation needed] This behavioral requirement for the national anthem is subject to the same First Amendment controversies that surround the Pledge.

I remember being in school and saying the pledge and listening to the anthem over the scratch muffled loudspeaker every morning. I remember placing my right hand over my heart, which I still do to this day. My husband never had to, just to the Pledge.

So, here’s my question to you. Where does your hand go during the singing of the National Anthem?