Needed Support...

At the beginning of every grade school day or at sporting events we all can remember hearing The Star Spangled Banner either being sung or played for all to hear. As much as this is embaressing to admit, I myself have never really read and anaylzed the words - only sung them; simply because I had to.

"In spite of exapansive oratory aboutAmerica as thegreat and democratic 'melting pot,' there was thesobering recognitionamoung officials --as the American war effort commenced--that for manyimmigrants, 'the melting pot had failed to 'melt'; the 'Landof Opportunity'hadnot delivered on its promises" (Ewen,105).

Isn't it "O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!" ? (The Star Spangled Banner)

Immigrants flood America everyday, some of whom barely speak the English language, have little education or have under paying jobs; if any. Not many instituitions or aid tend to be avaliable to them. A country who embraces outsiders should at least put in effort into making them confortable and safe. Unfortunately, we hear about hate crimes against immigrants who heard these stories about immagrants who come here to experience this wonderful land, all the time. The truth is that everyday is a constant struggle for them, unless you are an immigrant with a thick accent, barely knowing English or working paycheck to paycheck you would only be able to understand it to a certain extent.

George Creel and others realized that with immigrants not knowing much of what was going on, they couldn't possibly be able to participate in the American war effort (Ewen, 105). Much of the working class didn't even see the war as useful; a "rich man's war" as they called it. In order to gain support for the war, it was clear that a compromise of needs between the working class, public opinion and the higher ones had to be met.