This Land, This Earth
What is a symbol? A symbol is a representation of something else. We are surrounded by symbols. Our minds work with symbols every day. Even letters are symbols, properly speaking. Symbols are necessary for us, without them our communication would not be as fluid and understandable. Sometimes, they are emotional, and we are trained from babyhood to have a knee-jerk reaction to them as soon as we see them. I remember while in primary school in Boston, every morning we stood and recited the pledge, hands over hears, facing the American flag in the corner. We were taught it was the symbol of a great country, a proud country, our country. I still remember, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Every morning, twenty-odd children and their teacher, in every class, unanimously reciting the same words to a symbol. We were taught to love that flag, and I still feel a tiny "ohh" whenever I see it as an adult. I don't feel that with the Spanish flag.
That love of national symbols is not imbued in Spanish children. It's a little difficult, with various historical autonomous communities, ancient kingdoms in their own right and some of which want independence from the state. Perhaps Catalunya comes closest with the veneration of their symbols. But even in the regions with dreams of independence, the national symbols are not as sacred as the American symbols. There was a soccer game last year where the Spanish anthem was booed so loudly it almost wasn't heard. It was the last game in the King's Cup and the Athletic de Bilbao and the F.C. Barcelona were playing in Euskadi with the King present, who would present the cup to the captain of the winning team. Both teams were from regions that generally despise the central government in Madrid and seek independence. When the anthem came on, the boos lit up. The King and the owners of the teams were standing, serious looks on their faces, ignoring the boos. The players tried to do so, too, but some didn't quite understand the nature of the boos. (Most of the players are not even from Spain, but foreigners who are here to play and don't bother to learn about nationalist grievances.) A great controversy ensued, with the PP conservative party up in arms, and a complaint filed with a court, that I believe found no wrong in the boos because they were a form of free speech. The reaction of the PP was to threaten to heavily fine anyone who is caught booing the anthem. I don't know how it has ended, but I think the fines have not been installed.
It is common to mistreat the Spanish flag and other national symbols in Spain. Few treat it with the extreme respect the American flag is treated. Apart from the growing regionalisms, it is also a reaction to the times of the dictatorship, when it was not only a symbol of the country, but also a symbol of the dictatorship and all it stood for. As a consequence, it is not uncommon to see it being burned at protests. And nothing happens. That can become a problem for young people who travel abroad without reading a guide book listed with dos and don'ts, like "do say 'thank you'," and "don't use the thumb to hitchhike because that is considered an obscene gesture in some places." In the Spanish edition of the guidebooks to Latvia there should be a "don't mistreat the Latvian flag; you'll go to prison." In May of 2007, two Spanish men and some Portuguese were arrested for mistreating the Latvian flag. In the police version, the young men had torn down the flags and were tearing them and stepping on the pieces. The youths claimed they had simply taken down some little flags they had seen to take home as souvenirs. After two weeks of incarceration, they were allowed to return home. It had been the first time they had visited a foreign country, and according to one of them, probably the last time. It was seen in Spain as totally disproportionate that the young men could face three years jail time for something so innocent. Then we talk about ugly Americans and guiris who expect things to be exactly the same as at home. Perhaps if those young men had bothered to read about Latvia, they would have understood just why their flag means so much to them.
Most Spaniards simply don't understand all the controversy over standing or not for the American anthem. Generally, the thought is, if it's offensive to some, why not change it? The Spanish anthem is one of three in the world with no words to it. It has been more or less the national anthem since the eighteenth century, with a couple of breaks. During the Second Republic a different song was used. Franco replaced it with the old anthem, but with new words, and a faster rhythm. In the verses are references to la patria, raised arms, and an anvil and arrows, all symbolic of fascism. Since Franco's death, the hymn has remained, but with no words and at the old speed, though many verses have since been proposed. Every time a call for new verses goes out, and one is accepted, it never gets implemented. There's always an objection from someone. So, wordless it has remained. And, even without any words to offend, some people consider it offensive.
Perhaps what is really offensive is the idea of expecting people to automatically love the symbols of the nation they live in, and whittling down the history of that people to those symbols. Patriotism is much more complex than saluting a flag or standing for an anthem. It should be more about righting past wrongs and making a better future for fellow citizens. Detesting something about your country does not automatically make you a devil with horns. Nor does pledging allegiance and singing the anthem at the top of your voice make you the most patriot of patriots.
That love of national symbols is not imbued in Spanish children. It's a little difficult, with various historical autonomous communities, ancient kingdoms in their own right and some of which want independence from the state. Perhaps Catalunya comes closest with the veneration of their symbols. But even in the regions with dreams of independence, the national symbols are not as sacred as the American symbols. There was a soccer game last year where the Spanish anthem was booed so loudly it almost wasn't heard. It was the last game in the King's Cup and the Athletic de Bilbao and the F.C. Barcelona were playing in Euskadi with the King present, who would present the cup to the captain of the winning team. Both teams were from regions that generally despise the central government in Madrid and seek independence. When the anthem came on, the boos lit up. The King and the owners of the teams were standing, serious looks on their faces, ignoring the boos. The players tried to do so, too, but some didn't quite understand the nature of the boos. (Most of the players are not even from Spain, but foreigners who are here to play and don't bother to learn about nationalist grievances.) A great controversy ensued, with the PP conservative party up in arms, and a complaint filed with a court, that I believe found no wrong in the boos because they were a form of free speech. The reaction of the PP was to threaten to heavily fine anyone who is caught booing the anthem. I don't know how it has ended, but I think the fines have not been installed.
It is common to mistreat the Spanish flag and other national symbols in Spain. Few treat it with the extreme respect the American flag is treated. Apart from the growing regionalisms, it is also a reaction to the times of the dictatorship, when it was not only a symbol of the country, but also a symbol of the dictatorship and all it stood for. As a consequence, it is not uncommon to see it being burned at protests. And nothing happens. That can become a problem for young people who travel abroad without reading a guide book listed with dos and don'ts, like "do say 'thank you'," and "don't use the thumb to hitchhike because that is considered an obscene gesture in some places." In the Spanish edition of the guidebooks to Latvia there should be a "don't mistreat the Latvian flag; you'll go to prison." In May of 2007, two Spanish men and some Portuguese were arrested for mistreating the Latvian flag. In the police version, the young men had torn down the flags and were tearing them and stepping on the pieces. The youths claimed they had simply taken down some little flags they had seen to take home as souvenirs. After two weeks of incarceration, they were allowed to return home. It had been the first time they had visited a foreign country, and according to one of them, probably the last time. It was seen in Spain as totally disproportionate that the young men could face three years jail time for something so innocent. Then we talk about ugly Americans and guiris who expect things to be exactly the same as at home. Perhaps if those young men had bothered to read about Latvia, they would have understood just why their flag means so much to them.
Most Spaniards simply don't understand all the controversy over standing or not for the American anthem. Generally, the thought is, if it's offensive to some, why not change it? The Spanish anthem is one of three in the world with no words to it. It has been more or less the national anthem since the eighteenth century, with a couple of breaks. During the Second Republic a different song was used. Franco replaced it with the old anthem, but with new words, and a faster rhythm. In the verses are references to la patria, raised arms, and an anvil and arrows, all symbolic of fascism. Since Franco's death, the hymn has remained, but with no words and at the old speed, though many verses have since been proposed. Every time a call for new verses goes out, and one is accepted, it never gets implemented. There's always an objection from someone. So, wordless it has remained. And, even without any words to offend, some people consider it offensive.
Perhaps what is really offensive is the idea of expecting people to automatically love the symbols of the nation they live in, and whittling down the history of that people to those symbols. Patriotism is much more complex than saluting a flag or standing for an anthem. It should be more about righting past wrongs and making a better future for fellow citizens. Detesting something about your country does not automatically make you a devil with horns. Nor does pledging allegiance and singing the anthem at the top of your voice make you the most patriot of patriots.
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