Immigrants sing from heart

As we were teaching a class of Hispanic immigrants to sing the national anthem on Thursday evening, I felt a catch in my heart. My husband tried to illustrate the words on the white board with "rockets' red glare" and "our flag was still there." He dramatized Francis Scott Key witnessing the battle at sea. We witnessed the tears in their eyes as they finally understood the words "O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

For 55 years I have sung those words and tried to master the variances of the highs and lows in the melody, but nothing was as sweet as the earnestness in their faces, their efforts to master the words and tune so they could present this song from their hearts for America's birthday in church on Sunday.

Claudene B. Gordon

Salt Lake City