TORONTO- When the anthem plays before a national sporting event, it should be one of the last sacred, unifying moments we have left. The lights dim, the crowd stands, and for a brief minute, everyone is on the same side. But this week at the World Series, that moment was turned into yet another culture war skirmish.
What should have been a celebration of country and community became a political stunt. Instead of honouring tradition, some felt the need to change the lyrics, twist the meaning, and use the anthem to score social points. It's exhausting. It's unnecessary. And it's disrespectful to the millions who still believe that some things should remain untouchable.
Let's be clear. The original lyrics "home and native land" and "in all thy sons command" are not controversial. They are part of our history. They speak to courage, sacrifice, and pride in the nation we've built. They don't exclude anyone. They unite everyone. The woke crowd wants to pretend that rewriting them is an act of progress. It's not. It's an act of erasure.
Tradition matters. The anthem is supposed to remind us of what brings us together, not highlight what divides us. But for activists desperate to be offended, nothing is off limits. They can't stand the idea that something might exist outside their ideological bubble, so they rewrite it, rename it, or cancel it. The anthem is just their latest target.
This isn't about inclusion. It's about control. The woke left wants to dictate what we can say, sing, or even feel pride in. And every time we stay silent, they push the line a little further. We've already seen it happen in classrooms, in newsrooms, in entertainment, and now even at the ballpark.
Sports used to be one of the few places where politics didn't matter. You could sit beside anyone, left, right, rich, or poor, and cheer for the same team. That was the point. The anthem set the tone for that unity. But when the first notes of the song become a stage for activism, the spirit of sport itself takes a hit.
Keeping the anthem as it was written isn't radical. It's common sense. It's patriotic. It's about remembering the people who came before us and refusing to let political fashion dictate our history. The lyrics don't need updating. They need defending.
Enough is enough. The anthem belongs to the people, not the activists. Leave the lyrics alone. Leave the tradition intact. Let the moment be about pride, unity, and respect, not politics.
Keep the anthem strong. Keep it original. And stop letting the woke mob rewrite what was never theirs to change.