Posted on 03/03/2006 5:53:02 AM PST by Behind Liberal Lines
SENECA FALLS NY--Former Seneca County lawmaker Richard Ricci said Thursday "that's a bunch of baloney" to criticism that he was grandstanding when he led the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance at a public hearing Wednesday night.
At the close of his prepared remarks, Ricci called on the crowd of about 300 at the New York Chiropractic College to stand with him and recite the pledge.
Many in the crowd stood on cue, but a scattering of people didn't. They included Clint Halftown, the New York Cayuga Indians' federally recognized representative, and Syracuse lawyer Daniel French, a former U.S. Attorney who represents the Cayugas.
A few reporters and two federal Bureau of Indian Affairs officials at a front table also remained seated.
On Thursday, Halftown and French defended their reasons for keeping their seats. Halftown also criticized Ricci for what he said appeared to be a grandstand attempt to play to the crowd at the hearing, which was held for residents and politicians to have their say on the tribe's land-trust application before the BIA.
French, who was U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York from 1999 to 2001, said it's unfortunate when people use "something as sacred" as the Pledge of Allegiance to question somebody's patriotism.
Ricci said he asked the crowd to recite the pledge because the BIA - which was holding the hearing - did not open the meeting by saluting the flag.
I also note that the Clintonista attorney fell back on the old "how dare you question my patriotism" ploy.
Maybe that's because your patriotism IS questionable.
I won't cut the Cayuga Indian one inch of slack. The Cayuga Indian Tribe hitched their wagon to the British in the War of 1812. The Brits lost and so did the Cayuga. The Town of Aurora was built on the ashes of a Cayuga Indian village destroyed after the war. So screw the Cayuga's and their land claim.
I agree with you on that. I was simply noting that an Indian may have a legitimate religious belief that may prevent him or her from reciting the pledge.
Sacred? Why yes it is. And that is why "under God" will stay. Shame on the attorney for succumbing to liberal "peer pressure" to stay seated during something he believes is "sacred". Then again I am more inclined to believe that he really doesn't see the pledge as sacred and was just using it as an opportunity to "grandstand" himself.
The attorney in question is a former Clinton administration official. He didn't succumb to liberal peer pressure, he IS liberal peer pressure.
Private citizens are free to act as they wish, however reprehensibly. However the federal officials should be fired for not reciting the pledge while acting in their official capacity. They work for the "Republic for which it stands", they can certainly pledge allegiance to that Republic or find other work.
Why would you cut the indians any slack?
Bewteen Kiwanis, The Knight of Columbus and the Republican City Committee I am saying the Pledge like I was back in Grammar SChool and I'm loving it!
an Indian may have a legitimate religious belief that may prevent him or her from reciting the pledge.
Because if im not mistaken, by federal treaty, Native Americans actually have seperate nations recongnized by the US govt. Personally, the Indians lost the wars and oh well, thats the way the cookie crumbles. Maybe on a reservation, they shouldnt take federal tax dollars if they dont want to salute the flag? But generally, I have no beef with Indians.
Because technically they would be part of a sovereign nation with which these United States have treaties? Why should they say a pledge to the flag? Of course one could ask why anyone would say a pledge to a flag. For some reason I don't remember seeing references in history to the pledge of allegiance before it was invented by a Socialist in 1892. It is not a definition of patriotism.
Sorry, that line was sarcasm and was used as a set up for the last statement I wrote which is really what I believe was going on.
oh
ok
Who would that Socialist be?
Written in the late 1880s, it's a 'progressive' piece advocating a socialist utopia that would exist in the year 2000
ping
1) The reporters NOT standing is a hell of a statement. Why? When you're covering a meeting like that, you'd want to see who was standing and who was not, because it's an important part of the story. You can stand and study the crowd, whether you recite the pledge or not. NOT standing is an obvious POLITICAL statement that took precedence over the scribes doing their jobs.
2) The federal bureaucrats should be fired. If they don't respect the country, they sure shouldn't be drawing a paycheck from its government.
You would think such serious religious beliefs might keep them from drinking so much booze.
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