As a conservative, and as a liberal, the authors of this petition stand together to celebrate the honor that Kate Smith brought to a sports franchise, a city, and a region by singing a song that celebrated a people and a nation coming together coming together during World War II for a unity of purpose to overcome odds that many thought were long, against a nation under attack from multiple foes that sought her destruction.  In the late 1960’s, a Philadelphia Flyers executive (Lou Scheinfeld - an ex-Marine,) during a time that divided opinions over the Vietnam War threatened to tear the country apart, chose a recording of a song sung by a long obscure singer to honor America before some of that team’s games.

Coincidentally or not, that niche sports team that struggled for success against bigger, tougher foes grew and banded together, and began to find unprecedented success whenever the recording of the song was played.  Motivated at least in part by this version of this song, a bunch of small town Canadian young men grew and banded together against bigger and tougher foes to accomplish what has yet to repeated decades later.  That franchise grew and prospered, and did not hesitate to turn to playing the song, and calling upon that singer, when the team was in desperate need of a victory. The song, 'God Bless America’, and its singer, Kate Smith, honor this country, with all of its flaws and sometimes dark past, as well as this region, this group of young men, and this franchise.  We the undersigned urge the Philadelphia Flyers not to retreat in shame from celebrating a song, a singer, and that history, despite whatever poor choices that singer may have made at another point in time, for that is not what America is about.