Boy's Parents Want Teacher Fired for Sitting Son in Hall-Wont Pledge Allegiance to Flag

Lakewood Press Democrat ^ | January 8, 2003 | Ucilia Wang

[ewing]

The parents of a Lakewood Middle School student Thursday will ask the School Board to fire the teacher who told the student to leave the classroom for refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Victoria Kearney said she will ask Lakeport Unified School District board to dismiss David Laven becase she is dissatisfied with the district's handling of the complaint about Lavin's treatment of her son, Jim Woodbury.

Laven told Woodbury to stand outside the classroom when he wouldn't say the Pledge of Allegiance in his U.S. History and Constitution class last semester.

[PAR35]

The story uses "parents" in the lead, but I could find no further reference to a father.

[muawiyah]

Your "mind" is in error. The Flag is a legacy passed down to us in the present generation. It is not an "idea" of anything. You can rally around it, or you can turn your back on it.

There are plenty of other places folks who fail to rally can go. They should start on that trek as soon as possible.

[Doctor Stochastic]

The article didn't say it was part of an Islamic prayer session, either.

[sweetliberty]

"Anyone know what law this is????"

Don't know about the law but how the California liberals define "patriotism" could be very revealing. I'm surprised no parents have yet demanded a peace march as a way of fulfilling that requirement.

[E Rocc]

The Supreme court has already ruled that kids can't be forced to say the pledge in school.

Nearly 60 years ago: WEST VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION v. BARNETTE, 319 U.S. 624 (1943)

-Eric

[trebb]

Laven didn't return calls seeking comment. But Laven told Burke during Burke's investigation that Woodbury was disruptive and tried to incite other students not to say the pledge, according to Burke's written report.

So he didn't just stay mum, he became a nuisance

[NorCoGOP]

"I believe the flag is a symbol of the government, and I think it's corrupt and I don't agree with some of the choices it made," he said.

Maybe he should stay in class, so he can learn that government choices are utlimately made by the people, with their electoral power.

But, then again, he apparently enjoys burying his head in the sand, then finding fault over something he doesn't comprehend, and ends up with free publicity....

ick

[E Rocc]

A landmark 1943 U.S. Supreme Court case, West Virginia State Board of Education vs. Barnette, established that students cannot be compelled to recite the pledge.

No exactly.

That case ruled that a student cannot be punished for not pledging if it is for religious reasons. The student in question states that his refusal is for political reasons.

The decision made no such stipulation:

If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us

We think the action of the local authorities in compelling the flag salute and pledge transcends constitutional limitations on their power and invades the sphere of intellect and spirit which it is the purpose of the First Amendment to our Constitution to reserve from all official control.

-Eric

[E Rocc]

Laven didn't return calls seeking comment. But Laven told Burke during Burke's investigation that Woodbury was disruptive and tried to incite other students not to say the pledge, according to Burke's written report.

I had more than a few teachers in school who considered any disagreement with them to be "disruptive" and unacceptable.

-Eric

[E Rocc]

He could always do what we did in school... make up our own words to it ;)

Why not? Congress did in 1954. >:)

-Eric

[Restorer]

Thank you. I obviously misremembered the wording of the decision.

[FreeTally]

The Flag is a legacy passed down to us in the present generation. It is not an "idea" of anything.

Its a symbol of the ideas this country was founded upon. Nothing more, nothing less.

You can rally around it, or you can turn your back on it.

I'll suport the ideas upon which America was founded, thank you very much.

There are plenty of other places folks who fail to rally can go. They should start on that trek as soon as possible.

I'm thinking of a place where you can go right about now....

[Restorer]

He had been publicly promoting socialism since at least 1876, when he delivered a commencement speech at his graduation from the University of Rochester.

Let's at least recognize that promoting socialism during the 1800s is a little different than promoting it today. Back then it was possible to believe that it would lead to a freer world, since it had never achieved power. Those who promote it today, after almost 100 years of failure and bloodshed wherever it gains control, cannot claim ignorance about its results.

[FreeTally]

I had more than a few teachers in school who considered any disagreement with them to be "disruptive" and unacceptable.

Yeh, me too. The same goes for a wide variety of internet chat foumns as well(not this one, but others).

[Xenalyte]

Lakewood Press Democrat ^ | January 8, 2003 | Ucilia Wang

Aren't "Ucilia" those things that hang down in the back of our throats that we think are tonsils when we're kids?

[LdSentinal]

I wonder if I would get such positive media treatment if I (or my children) refused to honor Black History Month.

[Irish Eyes]

The teacher was only acting in the boys best interest, and did not want to harm him by making him hear something that he did not beleive in. I am sure that the teacher must have thought that it would be too insensitive to make the student listening to others making the pledge. ;-)

[capitan_refugio]

The Press Democrat
427 Mendocino Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95401

[muawiyah]

It's quite clear that you fail to understand my patriotism or the Flag.

It's like this. The Flag belongs to us and the government is invited to participate in its correct usage, but only to a very limited degree. The US Supreme Court failed to recognize that and totally discredited any legitimacy it might have in questions about that matter, or in many other matters. It would be better to have our nation and the Flag than to have the Supreme Court in fact.

Some of us feel that it's not a mere symbol - that it is, in fact, literally the fabric of our nation, and that insults to it are life and death issues.

[steve-b]

Some of us feel

I see that you missed the sign at the fork:

     THINKERS: FR -->
     FEELERS: DU <--