Remember, there are four stanzas to nation anthem

Many people do not realize or have forgotten that our national anthem consists of four stanzas since it has become the custom to only present the first at public events. As written by Francis Scott Key, the first stanza asks a question, the second answers it, the third chastises our enemy at the time and the fourth speaks to the future.

It might be timely to remind our leaders, those that want to be our leaders and those in the world that threaten us what that fourth stanza tells them:

"Oh! Thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

"Between their loved homes and the war's desolation,

"Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven-rescued land

"Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

"Then conquer we must, for our cause is just,

"And this be our motto -- 'In God is our trust.'

"And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

"O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

Reinhold Klein

Bradenton

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Remember, there are four stanzas to nation anthem ."