There are exactly two songs for which I will remove my hat: my college alma mater, and the National Anthem.
"God Bless America" is neither, despite what the Washington Nationals apparently believe.
I've never been a fan of the song "God Bless America." By itself, the song is beyond schmaltzy, and I don't care for schmaltz, although the sentiment expressed, standing on its own, does not particularly offend me. It's a prayer: God, please bless my country. Nothing wrong with that. Beats the alternative (no reference to Rev. Wright expressed or implied). And it was written by Irving Berlin at a time when schmaltz was the style. Additionally, it was popularized during World War II (although written near the end of World War I), at a time when we needed all the blessings we could get.
Mostly, though, I guess I've never liked the song because it seemed to be favored by the "America: Love it or Leave it" set - a sort of musical flag lapel pin, if you will. Also, while I am a religious person, I'm never comfortable when people try to conflate religion with patriotism.
My discomfort did not abate when the song enjoyed a resurgence after 9/11. The rest of that baseball season, it was sung during seventh-inning stretches in place of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." To this day, it's sung at Nationals Park here in DC during the seventh-inning stretch of Sunday games. It always seems that the majority of men remove their hats during the singing, although some of us don't. I will say that I haven't observed any bad feelings either way. Take your hat off, leave it on, that's your choice. Nobody's glared at me for leaving it on that I've noticed.
However, this past Sunday, for the first time, I heard the stadium announcer instruct, "gentlemen, remove your hats" for the singing of "GBA." Apparently, the Nationals' management now feels that "God Bless America" is our national anthem, which it most assuredly is not. And, as the link I've provided shows, only for the Star Spangled Banner does the law say that "men . . . should remove their headdress" (no Village People reference expressed or implied, as far as I know).
So I'm sorry, but no. At a time when teachers are revising American history to push the idea that the USA was founded as a Christian nation, when state judges defy the Constitution by erecting monuments to the Ten Commandments outside public courthouses, I oppose any attempt to make "God Bless America" our de facto national anthem. At a time when terrorists claim that God not only blesses them, but actually rewards them for taking innocent human lives, I oppose any attempt to sanctify "God Bless America" as part of some sort of bizarre musical holy war ("God bless you?? Screw you - God blesses us!!").
If that makes me not Christian enough for some people, or not patriotic enough, then tough. Until "God Bless America" becomes the official national anthem, I will take Randy Newman's advice and leave my hat on.