School rallies to retain sign

The Sacramento Bee ^ | October 6, 2001 | Ryan McCarthy

[runningbear]

A demand by the American Civil Liberties Union that Breen Elementary School in Rocklin remove a "God Bless America" sign prompted angry parents, students and administrators to rally at the school Friday evening.

About 250 people, many clad in red, white and blue, gathered to support the message, which was placed on a marquee in front of the school after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

[chicagolady]

Thanks! I believe we need to support the school officials even if we need to write letters instead , if we cannot find a e-mail address!

And maybe he can forward letters to the parents who are disturbed by the sign. Please keep me posted with an e-mail or regular address!

[Balding_Eagle]

Good idea, this thread will be printed and sent to the Principal along with a short note.

Principal: Terry Thornton

Breen Elementary School

2751 Breen Drive

Rocklin, CA 95765

[VOA]

Good idea, this thread will be printed and sent to the Principal along with a short note.

As a transplanted Oklahoma, I've been stunned AND pleased by the show of
patriotic fevor...even among the jaded, world-wise folks of Los Angeles and my
enclave of Brentwood.
I'm even more pleased that Breen Elementary has the intestinal fortitude
(my sanitized version of "guts") to tell the ACLU to stand down.

For a "flyover country" guy, the events of Sept. 11 and thereafter have forced me to
do some rethinking. Now I see that New York and California ARE fully part of
The United States of America.

[Amelia]

Thought you might like to read about a public school - in CALFIFORNIA no less - that is NOT politically correct!

[Amelia]

Thought you might like to read about a patriotic public school in California - please also see #12 & #36 on this thread.

[notaliberal]

You might want to try this email, I am not sure if it is right: tthorton@rocklin.k12.ca.us I tried it and it didn't come back!

[ME4W]

The ACLU was founded by a registered card carrying communist and nothing has changed a hell of a lot since then.

[Amelia]

Here's a story in which the public school is the "good guy" for once -- see also post #12 on this thread.

[Theodore R.]

Here's how a school can violate the Constitution. The First Amendment applied to Congress. Over the years, the Supreme Court has nationalized or incorporated the First Amendment. So that means it now applies to states, counties, cities, school districts, etc. Therefore, a school district is equal to Congress when it comes to potential violations of the First Amendment. And the judges have given far greater emphasis to the "establishment clause" to promote liberal views than the equally important "free exercise clause" which justifies religious expression in the public arena. The problem is not the Constitution; it's the federal courts that have perverted the meaning of the Constitution. Still the American people cannot understand this, and they continue to elect senators who oppose the constitutional freedom of religion in the First Amendment. Yet these same liberal, uninformed voters say they favor "prayer in the schools." It's a real victory for the "dumbed-down" brand of public education in America today.

[copwife]

I know this will be hard to believe, but in liberal Massachussetts where I live, there are "God bless America" signs all over the place,and in Worcester, a fairly large city,there was a "God bless America" day in the schools shortly after the attacks These events went on unscathed by the very active ACLU chapter here. This is truly a time for miracles!!!

[dbbeebs]

ACLU and other terrorist organizations are in for a hard time.

The ACLU is a terrorist organization?

[ppaul]

See #48 above.

[Clint Williams]

"It's simply not a religious expression," he said. "It's instead a patriotic expression."

While true, that statement in itself is chilling: it shows just how much ground we have ceded to the Left.

[VOA]

but in liberal Massachussetts where I live, there are "God bless America" signs
all over the place,and in Worcester, a fairly large city,there was a "God bless
America" day in the schools shortly after the attacks These events went on unscathed
by the very active ACLU chapter here. This is truly a time for miracles!!!

Amazingly, just about the same thing here in liberal Los Angeles/SoCal.
I'm still in shock at the patriotic reaction.
Even if it means most of the American flags fly from BMWs, Benzs, and other
prestige vehicles of foreign origin.
(Well, at least Jaguar and Saab are divisions of American automakers now; I think
Volvo is as well.)

I figured the ACLU had stayed quiet for two reasons:
1. People might rightly interpret interference with their First Amendment Rights
as "fighting words" and kick the @sses of the weasely bunch of candy-@ssed ACLU lawyers.
2. Too busy setting up ACLU field offices in Kabul in preparation of acquiring clients from the
Taliban and Osams's group...when their "rights" are violated in the coming months.

[CindyDawg]

Someone e-mailed me the address of a company with patriotic stuff for sale a few days ago. They have a yard sign with God Bless America. I think I'm going to order it. They want them down? I say we put up more.

[catonsville]

My local middle school, a few blocks away from me in Baltimore, has "God Bless America" on its outside display sign. I drove past it today. Never thought anything about it until this ACLU reaction.

I guarantee that there are many other schools across America that have the same sign.

What a stupid group . They just do not get it.

[Twodees]

Yes, you've tracked their convoluted reasoning properly. The "freedom from religion" crowd must feel left out by the 1st Amendment. The 1st tells the government "hands off the right of free expression of religion". The atheists feel slighted because their belief doesn't qualify as a religion. It's an uninformed opinion, not a religion.

[poweqi]

I mail them a nice little message. I wonder if we should mail the ACLU? Would it do any good?

[poweqi]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll alert the family... They LOVE to e-mail people!!