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.
Bet the founding fathers would love this rule huh? How far we have fallen. Nothing is dumber or more freedom hating than a politician, and I include 99.9 percent of them in that statement.
Kalifornication.
They just sang the wrong anthem. After all, Washington D.C. is the capitol of Obamerica...
That's probably because the "tourists" started dressing like they were going to a backyard barbeque instead of like they were visiting the national shrines.
Today I doubt that anyone even realizes that different standards of dress would apply.
Thought so. Just wanted to be sure you weren't one of the jerks who lurk abound here, you know, the kind who would agree with the kids being treated like thugs -- as they were.
“Tourists walking through the capitol stopped to listen to the singing and clapped enthusiastically.”
This to me would indicate a quality in their passion.
Goodness...I've been a fairly regular poster on FR since early 2001. First time I've had that suspicion cast upon me.
I'm curious...what would you have done had I been one of these "jerks?"
I agree with your comment on the matter. Somebody’s feathers got ruffled it seems.
Wonder if they would’ve asked Code Pinko for a permit if they were caught singing “Give Peace A Chance”.
Welllll, while I abhor violence .....................
I ain’t skeered...
“45 young people from California know the word to the National Anthem and God Bless America?”
I believe they are Christian and therefore not typical CA school kids
Thank God that armed Barney’s stepped in before it was too late!
Singing is a version of free speech. The right to peacefully assemble is also acceptable. The kids were applying their constituitional rights. The authorities were denying them those rights in an arbitrary manner. Heads up ACLU. Here is a slam dunk for you. We know how much you care about patriots rights(yeah, right...)
There are standards of decorum in public buildings that have nothing to do with constitutional rights.
Oops! You are right!
It's a complex issue. You can't exercise your Constitutional rights in every place, even in a public building. The Pentagon is owned by the American taxpayers, for example, but you can't hold a protest in its cafeteria.
The working portions of a State Capitol aren't really a traditional venue for the exercise of constitutional rights.
. The right of the people to peaceably assemble, and all that archaic stuff./sarcasm
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