National Anthem Becomes A Political Football For Texas Lawmakers

DALLAS, TX —Texas' war between patriotism and freedom now has its own soundtrack.

Monday, the Texas House pushed through a proposal being called the "Star Spangled Banner Protection Act." It's a proposal demanding that any professional sports outfit with a state contract play the national anthem at the beginning of every game.

The measure, Senate Bill 4, passed on a simple voice vote, with no House changes whatsoever. The proposal needs one more vote before final passage lands it on the governor's desk to be signed into law.

Proposed amendments in the House were defeated by Republicans along party lines, which was actually more contentious than the Senate's one-and-done vote last month with only two votes dissenting.

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"The Star Spangled Banner" became a political hot button issue in 2016 when NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee to protest the treatment of African Americans by police departments around the country. And when Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban quietly quit opening games with the anthem during last year's pandemic, the issue quickly caught fire amongst Texas lawmakers.

For Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, the gesture was a clarion call to arms about respecting American symbols.

When asked, Cuban said he was a "Star Spangled Banner" supporter, but that his team executives “also loudly hear the voices of those who feel that the anthem does not represent them.”

Not long after, the NBA announced all its teams would begin their games with the anthem.

Houston Democratic House member Gene Wu was one of the few who decried the measure, wondering aloud if a law that threatens punative action against sports teams who are only exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech is in fact, constitutional. His attempt to downgrade the political storm by turning the bill into a resolution failed.

Lubbock Republican Dustin Burrows was having none of Wu's argument anyway. He said that the bill didn't violate free speech, since sports teams could hold games without playing the anthem. They just couldn't contract with the state if they chose to do so.

So let's put this in perspective. Many Americans have pledged allegiance to the flag before we knew what it meant to do so. Generations have lifted their voices to sing "America, the Beautiful," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The Star Spangled Banner" with a pang in the heart and a lump in the throat given what the United States has gone through to survive and thrive.

But what are the flag and these patriotic tunes? They're symbols of freedom. As poetic and flowery as the phrase is, no one should ever die for any flag. It's a piece of cloth. The war dead made the ultimate sacrifice for what the flag represents: freedom.

As the Lt. Gov. tweeted, "We ARE the land of the free & the home of the brave." If America truly is the land of the free, shouldn't that liberty include the freedom to take a knee or remain peacefully silent in protest — even if someone else finds it unpatriotic?

This isn't flag-burning or looting and torching businesses. It's a civilized way of seeking a redress of grievances for people who feel persecuted. And it will always be a tribute to those who've fallen that America remains a land where people freely express themselves without fear of reprisal.

Until America is no longer that place.

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