An elite children’s choir was abruptly silenced while singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” inside the U.S. Capitol due to concerns from Capitol police that the song could be interpreted as a “protest” and may offend someone.
On May 26, the Rushingbrook Children’s Choir, believed to be a Christian choir from South Carolina, visited Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol as part of a planned tour.
After receiving approval from several Republican congressional representatives, including Russell Fry, William Timmons, and Joe Wilson, the choir was also invited to perform a selection of patriotic songs in the hall.
However, as the choir approached the completion of the third verse of the national anthem, a guide interrupted the director, notifying him that the Capitol police had ordered an immediate halt to the singing.
A video capturing the incident was shared on social media, quickly gaining viral attention.
While the children obediently ceased their performance without finishing the song, the nearby audience still applauded politely.
Matthew Leys, one of the event’s organizers, claimed that the Capitol police justified their order by suggesting that singing the anthem could be viewed as a form of protest.
Christina Chapman Heffernan, who shared the video on Facebook and is associated with the group, added, “Certain Capitol police said it might offend someone/cause issues. We respect authority, but we should have been allowed to sing because of the multi-level approval we already got from 2 representatives involved: Joe Wilson and William Timmons.”
The incident has sparked concerns about the increasing limitations imposed on law-abiding citizens. “When you need a permit to sing your National Anthem in your nation’s Capitol, something’s gone wrong,” Leys said.
Various political figures and conservative leaders have voiced their opinions on the matter.
The official GOP account condemned the incident as “outrageous,” while Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) pledged to investigate further.
He tweeted, “If this really happened, I want to ask the @CapitolPolice why are children expressing their First Amendment rights, especially while singing our country’s national anthem, offensive? My office will be looking into this.”
Republican State Representative Adam Morgan of South Carolina highlighted the erosion of American freedoms, suggesting that the fear of being “offensive” has led to the loss of cherished liberties: “The fact that our National Anthem could ever be considered ‘offensive’ in our nation’s Capital is a stinging reminder of the challenges we face as a Republic.”