Join My Crusade

I have had enough. It is time to end this. We must take up arms, if need be, to stop this once and for all. What is this menace to which I refer? The children's choirs singing the National Anthem and Take Me Out to the Ballgame at baseball games.

I know, I know. Why don't I torture puppies or say that Mom couldn't cook? But hear me out.

Everyone adores their kids. At certain ages, anything the little ones do is precious and fills a parent's heart with joy. But that's your kids. You don't necessarily feel that way about other people's children, do you? Every time we are in a doctor's waiting room and a little tyke is making lots of noise that seems to thrill the parent, I remind my own kids, "When you have children, remember that other people will not think they are as cute as you do."

So why should I, a paying customer who came to watch a baseball game, be forced to sit through a children's choir murder a song? Let's face it, kids can't sing well. If parents get thrilled by their children trying, save it for the school or church program. Let's not subject 40,000 strangers to it.

And besides, isn't the purpose of the National Anthem and Take Me Out to the Ballgame for the spectators to sing them? That's the tradition that I remember. Just give me an organ playing the songs and I'll sing along. Just spare me the "performance."