I have no problem with this. Not if we take away every dollar of state and federal monies the community college gets, including federally guaranteed student loans.
It's a free country, after all. And people should be free to be as stupid and poor as they want, so long as tax dollars don't have to subsidize it.
And you can thank a ruling from a San Francisco court for kicking this off. Now, who is it that comes from San Francisco? Oh. that's right, the new House Frau, Nancy Pelosi.
It was struck down by the Supreme Court but left an opening for another challenge. Aren't you glad Bush will get to put a liberal on the Court, or nothing at all next time?
The move was lead by three recently elected student trustees, who ran for office wearing revolutionary-style berets and said they do not believe in publicly swearing an oath to the American flag and government at their school.
The ban follows a 2002 ruling by a federal appeals court in San Francisco that said forcing school children to recite the pledge was unconstitutional because of the phrase "under God."
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Student leaders at a California college have touched off a furor by banning the Pledge of Allegiance at their meetings, saying they see no reason to publicly swear loyalty to God and the U.S. government.
The move by Orange Coast College student trustees, the latest clash over patriotism and religion in American schools, has infuriated some of their classmates -- prompting one young woman to loudly recite the pledge in front of the board on Wednesday night in defiance of the rule.
"America is the one thing I'm passionate about and I can't let them take that away from me," 18-year-old political science major Christine Zoldos told Reuters.


Forced pledges, like forced apologies, are worthless.
Free means free.
Posted by: listedbelow | Friday, November 10, 2006 at 11:32 AM
My grandparents would be OUTRAGED to learn that people are trying to take out "Under God" because...
Oh wait, My Grandparents didn't say "Under God" either, because the phrase was added in the 50's. Stupid Communist 1940's America.
Posted by: jaime | Friday, November 10, 2006 at 01:47 PM
My son goes to a private school (college) and they voted 2 years ago with the overwhelming majority to stop saying the pledge. It wasn't a big deal. And no, this school is in the deep south, not CA!! It just hasn't been an issue.
Posted by: dennis | Friday, November 10, 2006 at 04:07 PM
"America is the one thing I'm passionate about and I can't let them take that away from me," 18-year-old political science major Christine Zoldos told Reuters.
Christine is absolutely correct. If other people are not forced to recite the Pledge by rote, then America has been taken away from her. I assume therefore that she's writing this from Uzbekistan due to the fact that the student government is not currently forced to recite the pledge by rote.
Posted by: Boo | Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 12:38 PM
Orange Coast Student says Am. Flag = Genocide
NOTE STUDENT LEADER'S COMMENT ON THE MEANING OF THE AMERICAN FLAG
www.dailypilot.com/articles/2006/11/21/education/dpt-pledge21.prt
Posted by: Stars N. Stripes | Wednesday, November 22, 2006 at 03:59 AM
Orange Coast STUDENT TRUSTEE SAYS: “THE FLAG REPRESENTS GENOCIDE” The issue is not the pledge. There is room for discussion on whether or not a student government meeting needs to begin with a recital of the pledge.
The issue is that the majority of the Student Trustees hate America and they are trying to use their position as elected student government leaders to spread this hatred. How do we know? Because at a meeting of Student Government, one of the Student Trustees explained the reason for opposing The Flag.
He said: “The Flag Represents Genocide”
www.dailypilot.com/articles/2006/11/21/education/dpt-pledge21.txt
Posted by: Sam | Friday, November 24, 2006 at 09:32 AM