Something wonderful, from dear friend Sarah, who writes:
On July 4th the Boston Red Sox had a young man sing the Star Spangled Banner. He was somewhat disabled and there were other youngsters in the same condition with the players around the field as well those as standing near the batter’s box. He only sang a few notes when you realized he was not a renown vocalist. A few bars more and he missed a word or two, there was some laughter and it was laughing with him, he and the lady with him were smiling.
Then…50,000 voices gallantly streamed in…!
As Sarah writes: It is an outstanding display of fortitude on [this young man's] part and of love by those in attendance. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
This Yankees fan enjoyed it plenty!
While you’re at it, check out these two don’t-miss videos over at Hot Air!
July 7th, 2009 | 8:57 pm | #1
God bless Americans ! I’m all teary eyed here. Thanks for this.
July 7th, 2009 | 9:11 pm | #2
[...] HOT AIR readers, and thanks, Ed, for the link! While you’re here, please check out this heartwarmer of a video: 50,000 Baseball fans helping one handicapped kid to sing. Also, for the Cat’licks in the [...]
July 7th, 2009 | 9:16 pm | #3
We here in Boston knew you Yankees fans would come around eventually. Does this mean that h*ll has frozen over also?
[No, as far as I am concerned, the Boston Red Sox are the foulest beasts in nature! -admin]
July 7th, 2009 | 9:35 pm | #4
And no politician had to legislate that compassion into my Fenway peeps! They figured it out all on their own.
I am proud of everyone who helped this young man carry our Anthem. This is America to me.
July 7th, 2009 | 10:27 pm | #5
But the fans have it on that day.
July 7th, 2009 | 10:49 pm | #6
Youngster had guts to get up and attempt it. I’ve maintained for many, many years we have one of the most “un-sing-able” national anthems on the planet.
July 7th, 2009 | 10:56 pm | #7
special
July 7th, 2009 | 11:43 pm | #8
That is so special!
July 7th, 2009 | 11:58 pm | #9
I don’t mean to take anything away from the soloist, but this occasion was a sterling example of something I have been advocating for a long time. The “Star-Spangled Banner” was never meant to be sung by a soloist—it is OUR song, to be sung together.
Oh what a heavenly sound, to hear thousands of voices rise in unison. And for those nay-sayers who criticize the broad vocal range of the National Anthem (and harp on it being a drinking song’s melody)—I say we should SING IT! Let the soaring voices who can reach those high notes be held aloft by the bedrock voices below. There a spot in the National Anthem for everyone, and we should never forget it.
My fondest hope is that someday at the Superbowl, a singer of great voice and enormous poise will say to the crowd assembled there, “Will you join me in singing our National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”"
And then that person will conduct the entire stadium in song. And the whole nation will get shivers up their spine and tears in their eyes.
July 8th, 2009 | 1:22 am | #10
God bless the Red Sox fans. (Sorry, Anchoress, but they’re my team.
)
July 8th, 2009 | 1:49 am | #11
Oh, my, that is sooooo sweet. I don’t often think people are capable of such warm communal gestures anymore. It’s nice to be proven wrong.
July 8th, 2009 | 4:19 am | #12
Well, I have to say that as the Yankees have it all over the Sox as far as God Bless America is concerned. Ronan Tynan never fails to raise goosebumps.
Fenway is one of my favorite places in the world for just such a reason as you have pointed out.
Last season, a young boy who had been crippled with cancer spontaneously ran the bases during a pregame ceremony eliciting mass tear duct excretions from the faithful.
There is no doubt that baseball is played at its highest level inside this cathedral of sport (hopefully at the expense of the Yankees), but to leave it at that is to miss the point entirely. It is a sense of community that arises from the minutia of balls and strikes, painstakingly documented and endlessly rearranged for over a century, that makes such a moment possible. It’s true in Boston, it’s true in New York and many other places in America.
Someone once said that to understand the American character, one has to understand baseball.
‘nuf said.
July 8th, 2009 | 9:05 am | #13
[...] Needed a Little Help Via the Anchoress, who must implicitly admit to the moral superiority of Red Sox fans, I saw this nice Youtube [...]
July 8th, 2009 | 9:52 am | #14
absolutely heartwarming!
when I went to youtube it said it was july4, 2007. Just so there’s no confusion.
I’ll still be fwding this one!
July 8th, 2009 | 10:09 am | #15
Personally, the only thing I have ever found wrong with the city of Boston is that it’s full of Red Sox fans. Since John Henry and Tom Werner bought the team in 2002 they’ve spent $977,378,257 on payroll, raped smaller markets of their best players and still manage to maintain an attitude of grievous entitlement among the fans. As the sports section of The Onion proclaimed in November of 2004: Red Sox fans complain month has gone by since latest Championship.
Werner owned the Florida Marlins prior to the Sox and didn’t find them “sexy” enough to spend his money on and manipulated a complicated deal that sunk the Expos and almost took the Twins with them.
As far as I’m concerned Fenway can burn to the ground.
July 8th, 2009 | 10:57 am | #16
My husband commented not long ago, that community singing just wasn’t done anymore. He had childhood memories of sing-a-longs at the local pizza place. I told him that outside of church, a baseball game is the only place left where a community will sing together. I love baseball.
July 8th, 2009 | 11:57 am | #17
A classic American moment. One of our own in trouble and the average citizen (pardon the pun!) stepping up to the plate to lend a hand. GOD bless this young man and GOD bless America! GO SOX!
July 8th, 2009 | 1:29 pm | #18
[...] On Stupid: Have A Great Independence Day: America’s 233rd Birthday The Anchoress, First Things: With a Little Help from his Friends! PA Pundits: Independence Day 2009: We Still Hold These Truths… Expose the Media: News You Won’t [...]
July 8th, 2009 | 1:30 pm | #19
[...] Independence Day! Blogs for Victory: The Spirit of the True American The Anchoress, First Things: With a Little Help from his Friends! Double Nickel Farm: My Birthday Gift to America La Shawn Barber’s Corner: You Don’t Look A [...]
July 8th, 2009 | 3:51 pm | #20
This is a great video, but when I down loaded it from youtube to save it, the day did not match with the comment (4th July 2009). So I checked snopes, it was not there, then I googled around a bit and found this site which also includes the embedded video and states in an entry dated 17 January 2008:
Back on June 30, 2007, the Boston Red Sox were hosting Disability Awareness Night at Fenway Park. A Monkey (part of Monkey Helpers for the Disabled) threw out the first pitch. No, I don’t have video of that … yet.
But the real story of the night was when Peter Rometti, a young man with Autism, was singing the National Anthem before the game.
Partway through the Anthem, Rometti started to stutter a couple of times, then he started laughing, and then he stumbled on a verse.
Watch as the Fenway Faithful rise to the occasion and help him out …
I welled up at that display of humanity by the Red Sox fans. A big tip of the cap to the 38,000+ Red Sox fans at Fenway that evening who stood up and did the right thing and added another lasting legacy to Fenway Park.
Oh yeah, the Red Sox lost to the Rangers. But the fans showed that they were winners in my book.
CWCD. Although the entire narrative is not quite right, the act and the video are magnificent. Bravo Zulu Peter Rometti and all of the other great Americans in the stands who sand along with him.
Take good care,
Sandy
July 8th, 2009 | 4:02 pm | #21
Along the lines of the Boston – NY rivalry, maybe you can also share this linked cartoon, Anchoress. Great, great video, by the way.
July 8th, 2009 | 5:44 pm | #22
[...] } Via The Anchoress. Something wonderful, from dear friend Sarah, who [...]
July 9th, 2009 | 2:58 pm | #23
[...] economic analysis, found a bunch of Great Summer Reading Lists, watched Boston Red Sox fans (!) help a handicapped kid sing the National Anthem and used a cartoon to explain the gist of Benedict XVI’s latest encyclical. Comments [...]
July 10th, 2009 | 6:27 am | #24
*This* is America, President Obama. You would do well to take note.
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