Don’t let Aguilera distract from more pressing matters

Jet West, Las Vegas

Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

Regarding the singing of the national anthem, television cameras always seem to catch people in the stands having trouble with the lyrics to “The Star Spangled Banner” when they sing or lip-sync along. It seems reasonable that a fair number of those trashing Christina Aguilera for her rendition of the national anthem at the Super Bowl are a bit fuzzy on the lyrics themselves. The audience at a sporting event should sing the national anthem with the aid of lyrics on the big board and television screens.

The forthcoming national discussion from this controversy will undoubtedly improve many Americans’ lack of familiarity with “The Star Spangled Banner,” which has been the basis of the national anthem since an act of Congress on March 3, 1931 — almost 120 years after the song was written in 1814.

As if the lyrics aren’t hard enough, consider that most renditions of the national anthem rely on one-fourth of “The Star Spangled Banner” poem, penned by Francis Scott Key.

Would it be too much to ask that we thank Aguilera for her immeasurable contribution to public service and keep our focus instead on more pressing national issues? It would be a shame if the controversy over Aguilera’s rendition of the national anthem caused us to miss more opportunities to get started on much more important matters.