Is the National Anthem next to fall prey to cancel culture?
Trey Gowdy reacts to protesters targeting the National Anthem
Fox News contributor and former House Oversight Committee chairman Trey Gowdy joined "America's Newsroom" Thursday to discuss the evolution of so-called "cancel culture" and its targeting of the national anthem.
"What started as a legitimate conversation about inequities in our justice system has now morphed into ‘Let's just change the entire country and change the entire culture,'" Gowdy told host Ed Henry.
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In a piece published Wednesday, Yahoo Music Editor-in-Chief Lyndsey Parker noted that Francis Scott Key, the composer of "The Star-Spangled Banner" had a history of derogatory comments about African-Americans and was a “known slaveholder.”
“Is it time for this country to dispense with ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and adopt a new anthem with a less troubling history and a more inclusive message?” Parker asked.
In a similar vein, Tulsa Athletic -- a semi-professional soccer team -- announced Wednesday that it will play Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie's “This Land is Your Land" before matches in order to create a more inclusive environment.
“After carefully reviewing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner' lyrics and meaning, including the third verse which mentions ‘No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave…,’ Tulsa Athletic came to the decision that the song does not align with the club’s core values. While this verse is rarely sung, Tulsa Athletic does not believe ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ represents or unites their diverse players, fans, and community,” the team said in a statement.
Gowdy noted to Henry that some consider Guthrie to be a "communist sympathizer" and added "everyone thinks he wrote that song because he didn't like ‘God Bless America.’"
"So, I promise you that song is going to offend someone too, and pretty soon we're just going to be humming the theme to ‘The Young and The Restless’ or find something that doesn't offend anyone," he joked.
Gowdy went on to proclaim that he would "be shocked" if any viewers were aware of the stanza cited by Tulsa Athletic in their statement.
"Be that as it may, I believe in participatory democracy," Gowdy acknowledged. "And if people want to change things, more power to them."
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"I mean, the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ hasn't changed in the 55 years I've been on Earth," he went on. "And up until about 24 hours ago, I never heard anyone offended by it.
"So, if we're going through a period in our country where we’re going to look at everything ... I mean, think about this, Ed, in every federal building there is a picture of Donald Trump. Okay?" Gowdy said. "Half the country doesn’t like that. And, five years ago, there was a picture of Barack Obama and half the country didn't like that. So, are we going to go into federal buildings and start taking down pictures we don't like?
"I mean, where does this stop?"
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and Brian Flood contributed to this report.
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