An Elkhardt, Indiana fifth grade class is proud of the changes they've made to the 188 year old Star Spangled Banner. The intent was to make the song more understandable to children, so they grabbed a thesaurus and went to town.

"Rampart" and "parapet" were simplified to "walls." Stripes went from "broad" to "wide." "Perilous" became "dangerous" and "gallantly" became "bravely."

While I agree that using a thesaurus to comprehend the Star Spangled Banner, is educational, I disagree with presenting the updated version at their school assembly. Teaching kids that "ramparts" are like "walls" is one thing, but limiting their vocabulary is another.