OPINION — How many of us truly know the words to “My Country, ’Tis of Thee”? How often do we still hear it played in our schools or at sporting events? Do we know the words to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” or understand the meaning and history behind them?
Hello, friends — let’s take another journey through history to explore where we may have lost sight of what it truly means to be free, to uncover where we may have drifted away from the true meaning of freedom and what it has always cost to preserve it.
“My Country, ’Tis of Thee” translates to “my country, it is about you,” with ’tis serving as an older form of “it is” and thee meaning “you” in traditional English usage. The song expresses deep patriotic devotion, celebrating America’s liberty, natural beauty and historical legacy, while often invoking God’s blessing upon the nation.
