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Calif. Youth Reprimanded for Singing National Anthem in Capitol
Faith News ^ | 7/16/8

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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: barneyfife; donutwatch; nationalanthem; orwell; uscapitol
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To: olivia3boys
Visiting the U.S. Capitol nowadays is NOTHING like it was even 20 years ago or even 10 years ago.

Tell me a about it. Back before 9/11, you were free to walk around the Capitol during regular business hours on self-guided tours. I used to go meet my friend for lunch when he was working for Hastert, and the guards would just ask me where I was going (more to make sure I didn't get lost), then let me go without incident after I went through the metal detectors.

I once ended up getting directions from Spence Abaraham when I took a wrong turn. Nice guy.

Now, even if you're there on official business, you need to get an escort to wherever you're going. And forget about self-guided tours. The Capitol is pretty much closed off, other than official tours, and those are run like the tourists are nuisances, rather than American citizens here to see the heart of our Republic.

61 posted on 07/17/2008 11:04:39 AM PDT by Citizen Blade
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To: Just another Joe
...the government takes too much on itself sometimes.

And the government THINKS too much of itself ALL the time.

62 posted on 07/17/2008 11:22:05 AM PDT by HKMk23 (Tragedy?! To Hell with tragedy! If it's tragedy I want, I'll read the newspaper!)
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To: HKMk23
And the government THINKS too much of itself ALL the time.

Gotta agree with that anymore.

63 posted on 07/17/2008 12:03:32 PM PDT by Just another Joe (Warning: FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
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To: HKMk23
And the government THINKS too much of itself ALL the time.

Makes me think their theme song isn't the national anthem anymore but the old Queen song.

We are the champions Weeee are the chaaaampionnnnns

OF the WOOOOOORLD!!!!

(So bow to us, peasants)

64 posted on 07/17/2008 12:06:30 PM PDT by Just another Joe (Warning: FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
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To: elpadre

OK. That explains it.


65 posted on 07/17/2008 12:07:17 PM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (I voted Republican because no Conservatives were running. FREE LAZAMATAZ)
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To: ZGuy

I would have liked to hear it, as long as the students were singing the actual words and not the “black national anthem,” as happened somewhere recently.


66 posted on 07/17/2008 12:34:27 PM PDT by hsalaw
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To: Oldpuppymax

Very clever, Oldpup!


67 posted on 07/17/2008 2:36:27 PM PDT by Iluvpopcrn (Karen)
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To: thefactor
"several armed troopers": well, cops carry guns. duh!

And I hope those guns were loaded, too.

Like a lot of good unarmed state troopers would do. Every state trooper I've ever seen is armed and I prefer it that way.

You're right about how that's stated to be inflammatory. It should go without saying that troopers are armed.

God help us if they aren't.

68 posted on 07/17/2008 6:07:22 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: ZGuy

Yeppers those young people are a Clear and Present Danger...

My 14 year old daughter was stopped from sweetly and quietly singing the National Anthem at the Vietnam Wall in 1992, although several people were taking pics, and thanking her...

She was extremely upset...And I was shocked..

She had sung at many rallies during the 1st Gulf War and loved the troops and the veterans


69 posted on 07/17/2008 6:14:58 PM PDT by Tennessee Nana
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To: SierraWasp; calcowgirl; ElkGroveDan; kellynla; doug from upland; SandRat; river rat

So this is what California has sunk to. Very sad.


70 posted on 07/17/2008 7:26:07 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (If Islam conquers the world, the Earth will be at peace because the human race will be killed off.)
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