Oh say, can you sing? Not at the Lincoln Memorial.
Apparently, singing the national anthem on the steps of a hallowed national monument has become an act of civil disobedience. Recently, a group of conservative students, gathered at the memorial, spontaneously broke out in patriotic song. A security officer immediately came over to stop them. “We got maybe two lines in and a police officer came over and he was yelling,” one student told Fox News. “I was dumbfounded.”
A spokesman for the United States Park Police explained the officer’s actions: “The area [the students] were standing in and singing is an area that is restricted for this type of activity. . . . The United States Park Police is absolutely content-neutral when it comes to any sort of demonstrations in these areas.”
“Content-neutral.” That has a beautiful Orwellian ring to it. The good news is: the students kept on singing anyway.
Drudge has posted a link to a video of the event produced by the Young American Foundation. The students won’t win any Grammys for this performance. Nevertheless, it is remarkable to think that this is what qualifies as illegal activity in Washington these days.