How ironic that on the day Fr. Hesburgh and God, Country, Notre Dame are honored in the "What Would You Fight For" television segment during the halftime of the Texas game, the outward manifestation of God, Country, Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium should be eliminated from the Notre Dame band's pre-game performance. I am speaking of the playing of “America the Beautiful,” recitation of the Preamble of the Constitution and excerpts from the Declaration of Independence. These have been a staple of the Notre Dame pre-game since 1964, 51 football seasons. They were eliminated because of an NCAA rule change allowing the teams more warm-up time before kickoff. Maybe two verses of “America the Beautiful” take up too much time, but the recitation of a few sentences? Surely the athletic department and the band can find a way to fit this in.
“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
“ ... We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ... And for the support of this Declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Jack Fremeau
class of 1971
Sept. 8
‘God, Country, Notre Dame‘
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.