Posted on 12/07/2011 9:42:27 AM PST by Nachum
Atheists and radical church-state separatists have taken particular offense to the continued uttering of the Pledge of Allegiance. To these individuals, the words under God have no place in the public square, even when utterances are voluntary in nature.
Now, theres a new epicenter in the debate over the Pledge. Following the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the University of Connecticuts interim athletic director, Paul Pendergast, decided to add the recitation as a viable way for individuals to remember both the nation and U.S. troops. Following his decision, the Pledge was first uttered after a home football game on September 16 and the response was so positive that it was extended to all football and basketball games.
Geno Auriemma, UConns womens basketball coach, agrees with the decision to include it and has been open about his support for saying the Pledge. Its like anything else, youre gonna have people that complain about it and people that love it, he said at a press conference last week. And then you have the wackos that say well we shouldnt bring God into this, because you have to say one nation under God right?
(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...
Geno is an Italian immigrant who entered America the right way and loves his country - pretty strange, huh.
Thank-you for putting in a good word about Coach Geno from this UConn women’s b-ball fan.
Fine, also play “The Internationale” or “The March of the Volunteers”.
Atheists and radical church-state separatists how about you try some STFU. We are tired of hearing your silly whining.
This is America. We are free to have the pledge before the event, you are free to ignore it.
The repeated handfuls of “offended” all over this country have conpletely jumped the shark. Tebow’em to death!
“When we forget that we are “one nation under God” , ... then we are a nation going under “ ~ Ronald Reagan
This UCONN grad is glad the university made this decision. It might be hard for folks outside CT to understand how popular the Women’s B-Ball program is but let it suffice to say that Geno could run for governor and no one would waste a dime running against him.
You and your school don’t like the Pledge ? OK, Fine.
No Federal money for the school
School can no longer accept Pell grants and Fed student loans as forms of payment.
No Dept of education loans,grants,endowments to the school.
You guys just keep biting the hand that feeds you.
That article misses the real complaint: that it’s just stupid and unnecessary.
We already sing the National Anthem (UConn’s official colors include “national flag blue” by the way). The new UConn AD introduced the Pledge with the idea of “starting a new tradition” and has pushed this “tradition” idea down the fans’ throats.
The fans’ opposition to this is that you cannot “start a tradition.” Traditions sort of just happen so that whole idea rubs us (I’m a season ticket holder for football and basketball and attend other UConn sports as well) the wrong way.
Everyone at the events says the pledge and trust me, everyone feels like a kid in grade school doing it. It has nothing in the world (to 99.9% of the fans) to do with the “under God” part - though I sit near some old timers who like to tell us the relatively recent addition of “under God” to the pledge and how they remember its inclusion fondly, etc.)
Anyway, it was pretty funny at the last soccer game last Sunday when it was noted that more than half the team isn’t American.
Whatever, just another silly thing blown WAY out of proportion - by the media hungry atheists AND the God fearin’ patriots.
From a fans perspective, the idea that this is an instant “tradition” is simply annoying.
Geno is an Italian immigrant who entered America the right way and loves his country - pretty strange, huh.
As a UConn fan...especially WBB...I have to say that it shouldn't be INAPPROPRIATE -- it should be at EVERY school's home games!!
Psst...LIBERALS...if you hate the PLEDGE...MOVE TO NORTH KOREA!!!
The other 'football' team -- did better then the one that plays in East Hartford. :-)
BTW How's the ice hockey team doing?? It is pretty hard to find college hockey scores here in Florida -- though they'll be having the FROZEN FOUR here this year!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.