Mitt Romney’s America the Beautiful

Recently, Mitt Romney sang America The Beautiful at one of his campaign stops. Considering his campaign rhetoric, one has to wonder how he interprets some of the lyrics of this song. For example, how would he see the following lyric in light of his tax plans and the way he personally has benefited from the present income tax laws: America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! When Mitt said, “I’m not concerned about the very poor” was he thinking of this verse of the song: America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till souls wax fair Then there is this verse which some might consider addresses the problems of income inequality: America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till selfish gain no longer stain The banner of the free! Of course there are those who seem to have a problem living in a country where a black man is president. Perhaps these people were influenced by this verse of the song: O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till nobler men keep once again Thy whiter jubilee! One cannot fathom why Mitt decided to sing to his audience. Perhaps he was moved by the recent fund-raising singing performance of President Obama. At any rate, one might wonder if he fails to see the irony in his choice of song.