Gwen Berry, ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ and free speech in the world of sports | Opinion – NorthJersey.com

Carl J. Asszony| Special to the USA TODAY Network

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The anthem doesnt speak for me. It never has.

Those were the words of Gwen Berry, an Olympic track and field athlete, who turned her back while the national anthem of the United States was being played during the award ceremony at the Olympic trialsJune 26. Berry had placed third in the hammer throw. While the other winners stood quietly with hands over their hearts in respect to the nation, Berry refused to do so and even covered her head with a t-shirt displaying the words "activists athlete."

Berry claims that the "Star Spangled Banner," is racist and disrespectful to black Americans.

She explained, If you know your history, the third paragraph (stanza) speaks to slaves in America, our blood being slain and piltered (?) all over the floor. Its obvious. There is no question.

This the verse of the Star Spangled Banner that Berry said she finds offensive:

"No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the star spangled banner in triumph doth wave

Oer the land of the free and the home of the brave."

If Berry had studied history a little closer, she would have found that racism in that stanza is not so obvious. Her interpretation was debunked in 2016 by Mark Clague, a professor of music history, American culture, African and AfroAmerican studies, and entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan. Clague is considered to be the leading authority on the "The Star Spangled Banner."

Clague contends that that the term "hireling" referred to mercenaries hired by British forces, and the term "slaves" meant escaped slaves recruited by the British with promises of freedom.

The professor also feels that the poem honored both black and white defenders of Fort McHenry. For example, there was William Williams (Frederick Hall), an escaped slave who was allowed tojoin the U.S. Army and was at the battle of Fort McHenry. It was there that he lost his leg in battle and died a few months later. Charles Ball, another escaped slave who could havejoined the British to gain his freedom, instead fought with the U.S. Navy during the war of 1812. He encouraged other escaped slaves to fight for the United States instead ofjoining British forces.

'I never said I hated the country': Gwen Berry responds to critics of her flag protest

Other historians also believe that Francis Scott Key, in his poem the Defense of Ft. McHenry,just used the words "hireling" and "slaves" as a rhetorical device to describe those in the Royal Army and Royal Navy being repelled by American forces.

Yeonmi Park, a human rights activist who escaped the harsh regime of North Korea, criticized Berry for turning her back on the national anthem. Park believes if Berry had done this in North Korea she would be imprisoned or executed.Park added, the fact that shes (Berry) complaining about this country, the most tolerant country she doesnt really understand history.

Berrys father, Michael, an Iraq war veteran, commended his daughter for her actions stating, For her to do that on the podium is more American than anything, because thats what our country is founded on: freedom of expression, freedom of speech.

That may be true, but whatBerry and others dont seem to understand is this: It is not their freedom of speech that is in question it is the matter of the sports arena being kept neutral and separate from politics.

For me, thisquestion remains: if Berry has such disdain for the national anthem, how can she represent the United States in the Olympics?

CarlJ. Asszony, a longtime New Jersey veterans advocate, can be reached at njveteran30@gmail.com.

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Gwen Berry, 'The Star Spangled Banner' and free speech in the world of sports | Opinion - NorthJersey.com