A bit more gusto enhances pride

I’m not quite sure how to say this for fear that people will misconstrue my words and take this as a put-down, which I assure you is not my intent.

I paid very close attention to the Stanley Cup Finals, and noticed something which really got my attention. Because both the U.S. and Canada were

represented in this contest, both national anthems were sung before the start of each game. In Boston during “The Star Spangled Banner,” some people sang along, but most kept quiet; in Vancouver, however, during “O Canada,” everyone joined in. In the middle, at, “With glowing hearts we see thee rise…”, the gentleman who was singing stopped and held the mic out to the crowd who raised their voices as one. To me, it was a truly moving moment to see that kind of pride in their national anthem, as well as their country. It could be argued that this enthusiasm is just because the Canucks are vying for the Stanley Cup, but I have been to more than one Canucks game, and it happened just about every time.

I love my country, and I’m proud to be an American. I just think that it would be nice to see the same kind of pride in our own anthem and nation at sporting events as Canadians show in theirs.

Like I said — this is not a criticism, just an observation.

John S. Paul
Mukilteo