re: The Rant's opinion on not removing hats for the National Anthem

The tradition evolves to present day. I wear my hat in alot of instances where someone from the 1800's probably wouldn't. I do take it off during the National Anthem as a sign of respect and to show thanks for all the men and women who have gone forth and sacrificed their lives for the betterment of this country and also so that I will never forget the price paid for my freedoms and so I will not take them lightly.
Therefore, I am passionate about this issue, because noone should ever forget the price paid for our freedoms and how hard they were to come by. I beleive freedoms don't disappear in the night but slowly over time. We have already started giving up some in the name of "Safety", but that is for another thread. I believe this custom has lasted so long and should go one because I don't want this country to lose the freedoms that sooo many paid dearly to get. JMHO!