Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Sometimes the best in America still comes out



A couple of days ago the San Diego Padres, a US baseball team, were playing a home game. As is customary, the game opens with the national anthem. For this occassion the team invited the Gay Men's Chorus of San Diego to open the game with their rendition of The Star Spangled Banner.

A small band of fundamentalist assholes (I know it's redundant) were outside protesting. But reports are that most fans attending the game ignored the Bible bashers. The chorus was greeted by cheers and applauded well afterwards.

Now and then, in spite of all that weighs it done, the best in America comes out. This is the first time, in a very long time, that I felt some pride in my home country.

The video is a short, amateur film of that moment. Unfortunately it ends too abruptly. You hear the full rendition but the cheers and applause from the crowd are cut short.