Posted on 07/17/2008 7:35:51 AM PDT by ZGuy
Students attending a youth leadership conference were reprimanded by capitol security on July 10 for singing the National Anthem and God Bless America in the state capitol rotunda. The patriotic expression was apparently so egregious that state troopers were called in to the rotunda to rebuke the students.
As the students ended their singing, several armed troopers entered the rotunda along with capitol sergeants-at-arms. They confronted conference staff and informed them that such singing is prohibited in the state capitol without a permit from the Rules Committee.
Undeterred by their shocking treatment at the hands of government officials, the students have applied for a permit to sing this Saturday, when they will visit the capitol for a mock legislative session on the Assembly and Senate floors.
The forty-five young people from all across California were at the capitol to attend the City on the Hill Youth Leadership Conference, where they learn the legislative and political processes. After spending the day meeting with lawmakers and their staff, the youth aged 14-18, engaged in a spontaneous expression of passion for their country by singing the National Anthem and God Bless America. Tourists walking through the capitol stopped to listen to the singing and clapped enthusiastically.
Among the students attending the conference were two young people whose father was held in a Communist prison in Romania. Another student is a Russian immigrant.
"This was a ghastly overreaction to some students expressing their patriotism in the seat of government," stated Karen England, Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute and director of the youth conference. "These young leaders have sacrificed a week of their summer to come learn about our government system and this is the 'welcome' they receive from the government."
"I am deeply saddened by the treatment these young patriots received at our state capitol," stated Meredith Turney, legislative liaison for Capitol Resource Family Impact and a graduate of City on the Hill. "This invaluable program equipped me with the tools I use every day in my job working with lawmakers. Unfortunately, these future leaders have seen first- hand how we are losing our liberties-including simply expressing our patriotism in public."
Despite their treatment, the City on the Hill students applied for a government permit to sing the National Anthem in the capitol rotunda on Saturday, July 12, at 1:15 p.m.
Are they going to sing “Kalifornia Here I Come”?
Good for these students, the government takes too much on itself sometimes.
It would have been enough to announce to the students that normally this would require a hall pass from the government and please don't do it again spontaneously, without a rebuke.
45 young people from California know the word to the National Anthem and God Bless America?
Must be home schooled. Wait isn’t home schooling illegal now in California?
Not necessarily unfortunate.
45 young people from California know the words to the National Anthem and God Bless America?
Must be home schooled. Wait isn’t home schooling illegal now in California?
If Obama had been President, the kids would have been required to sing “Ive Got My Mo-hammed Working”.
IIRC, Melanie Morgan told a story of some six-year-olds who were stopped from Christnas caroling in the San Francisco train station on grounds that they did not have a permit.
Of course the real reason was probably fear that these darling children would offend somebody.
We don’t need no stinking permits.
“We’ve taken care of everything, the words you read, the songs you sing. The pictures that bring pleasure to you eye. One for all and all for one. Work together common son. never need to wonder how or why” - RUSH 2112
The should have sung songs concerning an Islamic Jihad, then they would have been left alone.
I would like to see some video of how the students were singing before I could agree or disagree with Ms. England. I've seen teens sing perfectly acceptable songs in a very unacceptable manner many times. Don't know if that occurred in this case or not.
I'm making plans to be there. Do I need to show my passport for time travel?
Should have done the Soviet Union national anthem. They would have received and invite for a recording contract.
Visiting the U.S. Capitol nowadays is NOTHING like it was even 20 years ago or even 10 years ago.
Tense, high security, unfriendliness everywhere—tourists are shuffled quickly around after waiting for HOURS and being stripped of all their belongings.
In fact, visiting DC in general is much like this now (except, oddly, the U.S. Supreme Court, which has relative light security).
The White House is completely closed to visitors now unless you ask your Senator/Reps 6 mo in advance to run SSN checks (for even your children) and you HAVE to be a party of 10. And even then the request is rarely granted.
So no families are welcomed at all.
Recently overturned on appeal.
The capital police and democratic party will undoubtedly demand a detailed schedule of any upcoming vocal performance. “I left my rights in San Francisco” and “California here’s my Gun” will be big hits with the any twosome Newsome set.
“These young leaders have sacrificed a week of their summer to come learn about our government system and this is the ‘welcome’ they receive from the government.”
Oh, they DID learn about the government.
The new one.
....or the Mexican national anthem.
Sorry but I can understand this. If CA does not want the likes of Code Pink in the capital building every day chanting and singing, they probably need limits on this. That the police were not more tolerant given the songs, is the nature of policing. Perhaps the rules need an exception for singing the Star Spangled Banner, God Bless America and whatever the CA state song is.
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