By Marco Rubio
Sunday, September 13, 2014
My father took me to my first Miami Dolphins game in
1977, and I remember looking up at him as we stood to sing “The Star Spangled
Banner.” Just as it is today, Miami back then was a city of enormous diversity,
with many people like my father who had come from other nations and had their
lives changed by America.
In that crowd, you could have found some people who loved
salsa and merengue and others who preferred R&B. I’m sure some were even
(inexplicably, I might add) fans of the Bee Gees and other disco acts of the
’70s. But in that moment, all of us there, representing every background
imaginable, were united by our appreciation and respect for our national
anthem. Through this song, we became “out of many, one.”
I’ve been to numerous sporting events since then — from
the NFL to the MLB to peewee football — where our national anthem is sung
before the competition begins. I’ve also watched on TV some of the most
unforgettable renditions, including Whitney Houston’s powerful Super Bowl
performance in 1991 and Marvin Gaye’s famous version at the NBA All-Star Game
in 1983. And every time, as I look around the audience and see Americans
standing with their caps removed, it still gives me chills.
In those moments, no one cares whether the people to
their left or right are Republicans or Democrats, immigrants or native-born. No
one even minds if they’re fans of the opposing team.
Instead, we’re reminded that we’re all Americans. We’re
all proud of our heritage, grateful to those who died to ensure our freedom,
and forever indebted to those who continue that fight today.
Our national anthem is a stirring reminder of our
solidarity as a people. So as we mark the 200th anniversary of Francis Scott
Key’s penning of “The Star Spangled Banner,” let us take this chance to reflect
on the history and promise of our nation — on how the things that divide us as
individuals will never be more powerful that what unites us as Americans.
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