Condoleezza Rice And George W. Bush Have Different Views On The Spanish Star Spangled Banner

A mini-controversy erupted after the release last week of a recording called "Nuestro Himno" or "Our Anthem" -- a Spanish version featuring several famous Hispanic singers.

Talk radio has jumped on this hot topic. The usual suspects, Limbaugh & Hannity and other conservatives have used the controversy as an excuse to wax xenophobic.

When asked about his opinion about the Spanish rendition of the national anthem, George W. Bush replied: "I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English, and I think people who want to be citizens of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English."

President Bush's mind is a stranger to nuance and complexity; perhaps he can be forgiven for not realizing that an immigrant can learn to sing the anthem in English, but choose to sing it in Spanish as a way of demonstrating ethnic pride and patriotism at the same time.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on the other hand, isn't ticked off by hearing the Star Spangled Banner sung in Spanish.

Asked her view on the subject she replied:

"I've heard the national anthem done in rap versions, country versions, classical versions. The individualization of the American national anthem is quite under way," she said on the CBS show "Face the Nation."

We live in a niche society. There's Classic Coke, Cherry Coke, Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Diet Coke, Vanilla Coke... We may not all sing the Star Spangled Banner in the same accent, or even in the same language, but whatever rendition or version we are singing, our hearts are in the right place.

Viva "Nuestro Himno" and More Power to the "Star Spangled Banner."