the last number of months and now even the country's national anthem is in question i tune for danny hawkins picks up the story. 2020 is a year of change and i'm not talking about coronavirus popular t.v. shows axed statues torn down even food brands updated to meet 21st century criteria of inclusive u.-t. equality justice and tolerance but is it enough can more be done well in the united states protests during the national anthem have been a bone of contention for quite a few years but what about the national anthem itself well now some people are saying enough is enough. i. i. i well that's that's you that just came off the plinth was francis scott key the man behind the lyrics that the star-spangled banner and former slave owner and anti abolitionist so what's the deal with the itself. to do shows war. war. what you can think of all right of course the rarely performed that 3rd verse was directed by key black slaves who'd been freed or escaped and fought alongside the british in the war of 1812 his message to them was clear your fight for freedom will bring you nothing but death and downf