There will always be people who don’t play video games.

Same. Reminds me of when my Catholic and very Mexican aunt saw the manual for Diablo II sitting by my computer. That was a shit storm.

I once literally had someone bitch at me about not standing up for the national anthem when I was in a freaking wheelchair. (And in case that wasn’t stupid enough in and of itself, I clearly had my hand over my heart and was singing along, so it’s not even as if the crazy person who yelled at me could possibly…

I don’t understand the distinction between citizen and civilian in this context, unless you are including foreign nationals. Out of a sense of civility, we accept each others customs. For example, if I was in the military, I would salute during the playing of our national anthem while I would not for the Japanese…

a woman today apologized profusely to a man in a military uniform for not thanking him for his service right away. She then looked at me waiting for me to say the same.

True, and now the tabloids are thirsty to catch her skin bleaching. This crap is getting to the level of harassment experienced by the Williams Sisters.

Not military, but I competed against the service academies as a college athlete so I have been around military while the national anthem quite frequently.

Gabby just can’t ever do right my Twitter, her hair isn’t right, her hands aren’t right, her skin isn’t right.

My Master Sergeant in college was pretty adamant about not putting your hand over your heart for the national anthem as that was only for the pledge. Military are supposed to salute during the national anthem whether active or not or whether or not in uniform.

We sang the anthem and did the Pledge at school every morning. Hand over heart was always only for the Pledge. First time I ever heard anyone freak out about it was when Obama didn’t do it during the anthem.

The military has different rules they have to follow. Douglas isn’t in the military so she doesn’t have to follow those rules. Citizens usually stand at attention for the national anthem. Hand over the heart during the anthem is a hot load of BS.

Coming from a military family which features Army, Navy, and Air Force alumni in my immediate circle (although I never joined myself), standing at attention is perfectly kosher. As a lazy bum, I just put my hands behind me and look at the flag.

My mother is retired now, but when she was teaching she frequently had students who were Jehovah’s Witnesses. They didn’t recite the pledge, but most of them would stand as a show of respect.

Right? It’s weird to have the national anthem at domestic sports events. I can’t recall hearing the pledge after I became a citizen several years ago, but I want to say I’d feel weird putting my hand over my heart even at that. Not because I hate America - hello, I CHOSE and paid to be a US Citizen - but because I’d…

Yes. And I read that she was a military kid, and thats how it is done.

Correction. Looks like there was a change in 2008 involving saluting out of uniform.

I usually put my hand over my heart and sing the anthem when I return from abroad, go to a restaurant, and once again get ice* in my water, but that’s just me.

Pretty sure there’s no law that you have to stand, either. Not sure what makes it “necessary.”

Whenever you worry that not doing so might cause stupid people to get angry at you.