For the first year since 2000, I was not asked to sing for a patriotic and/or religious ceremony on this Memorial Day. Which is honestly just fine. Behold, a thread of rewritten patriotic hymns, because the original texts are problematic at BEST:

These alternate lyrics to America the Beautiful, as sung by my college friend Krista: https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=9BMKaj4jD4I

A gorgeous revisit of the Battle Hymn of the Republic by @audreyassad, entitled "Your Peace Will Make Us One":

Then again, I do love the second verse of America The Beautiful in its 1904 edition. America, America, God mend thine every flaw. Confirm they soul in self-control, thy liberty in law.

Somewhat tangentially, but not really: @brianmclaren on rewriting militaristic Christian hymns: https://baptistnews.com/article/brian-mclaren-time-to-re-write-pro-war-hymns/#.XsxwZWkpCdM

"When I am in a congregation that sings songs like these — songs that consciously or subconsciously play into hostility and fear and imperial or warlike sentiments — I feel that we are flirting with dark and dangerous currents that are very unsacred."

And I guess that's the biggest rub for me. I don't like glorifying war or violence generally, but these hymns -- and this holiday -- have been appropriated in praise of empire. And the texts of these hymns' faith tradition are prettttty clear on how God views empire.