Luckily I'm not into sports — only a baseball game or two during the summer — because I have the same reaction to the gawd-awful Star Spangled Banner.

Not wanting to face the possible reactions from my freedom-loving fellow Americans, I make sure I get my snack during that mind-anesthizing virtue-signaling exercise.

As the empire crumbles, they even added God Bless America a couple times, during the 7th inning stretch. Time to use the restroom.

I have a hard time around any groupthink exercises.

It's pretty hard to step out for snacks or a bathroom during the seasonal disorder called Xmas, but I do my best to ignore it and most other Periodic Public Displays of Acquiescence (aka "holidays").

Thanks for writing this piece!!