Lib Columnist Melts Down Hearing National Anthem In Nation’s Capital

A liberal columnist complained Thursday about hearing the American national anthem in Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital.

Jamie Stiehm, who has contributed to several corporate media outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, wrote for The Capital Times on Thursday that though the “Star-Spangled Banner” might be appropriate for “ballparks and stadiums,” it is “dissonant” to play before a classical music concert in today’s political climate. Stiehm said that classical music transcends international boundaries, but the national anthem pulls the arts back into the orbit of President Donald Trump’s influence.

After attending a symphony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the columnist opined about the National Symphony now reportedly playing the national anthem ahead of performances, under Trump’s leadership.

“Readers, President Donald Trump’s new regime at the beloved center decreed the National Symphony Orchestra must stand and play the national anthem before every concert. How dissonant,” Stiehm wrote. “Ballparks and stadiums are fine venues for that tune, but classical music is an international language. … This is just one more way Trump leaves his fingerprints on our city scene, after tearing down the White House East Wing.”

Trump is the new chair of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees and appointed former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell as the Center’s president. Grenell previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the Kennedy Center under Trump’s leadership will be a “place for everyone,” regardless of politics.

“Seeking spiritual solace, I washed ashore at the John F. Kennedy Center’s concert hall,” the columnist continued. “Yes, I loved the crashing chords of the ‘Organ Symphony’ by Saint-Saens and the lyrical light notes of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1. ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ not so much.”

Stiehm then concludes the piece by paraphrasing someone else who attended.

“These times reminded her of her German girlhood,” Stiehm said, adding that this person was a young girl during World War II.

The columnist told the DCNF that the article clearly articulates her stance on the national anthem being played before classical music concerts. She added that “there is a time and place for everything.”