Man Removed by Police for not Standing During Pledge of Allegiance - Polidicks

Patriotic Duty: [URL]http://www.mediaite.com/online/man-doesnt-stand-for-pledge-of-allegiance-mayor-orders-police-to-remove-him/[/URL] [QUOTE]A local Florida city commission meeting took an uncomfortable turn when a man sitting at the front declined to stand for the opening invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Winter Garden Mayor [B]John Rees[/B] ordered police to have him removed. The man, identified as [B]Joseph Richardson[/B], has reportedly sent emails to local officials asking to be able to deliver an invocation to make it more inclusive, as opposed to just being a very religious affair. ADVERTISEMENT Richardson had a video camera rolling when everyone else stood up for the invocation. Mayor Rees told him to stand up, but Richardson refused. Rees left it alone, until Richardson said he didn’t have to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. That [URL="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-mayor-tosses-man-for-not-standing-for-pledge-of-20140829,0,80941.story#"]really set the mayor off[/URL], and he ordered the police to escort Richardson from the room. [I]“I just said, ‘Either stand or go in the hallway.’ He wouldn’t,” said Rees, 64, who was elected to a third, three-year term in March. “It wasn’t premeditated. I just reacted. It hit me. I said it. I gave him an option. … Life will go on.” [/I] [I]Rees said he considered the man’s refusal to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to be disrespectful to American military troops who are serving overseas and others who have given their lives in defense of freedom.[/I] [/QUOTE]

[quote]Rees said he considered the man’s refusal to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to be disrespectful to American military troops who are serving overseas and others who have given their lives in defense of freedom.[/quote] what a load of bollocks.

So, this is like me not bowing to the queen right? If so, fuck that United States of fucking idiocy

Had to check to see if it was a satirical site for a second.

[quote]Rees said he considered the man’s refusal to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to be disrespectful to American military troops who are serving overseas and others who have given their lives in defense of freedom.[/quote] And like that, my blood is boiling. Not only is that the most hypocritical thing I have ever seen, but it comes across that the man is supposedly disrespecting the troops because he does not wish to stand for the pledge. Back to that hypocritical thing though - Who the fuck has the right to decide what is, and what is not freedom? That man was practicing his right to freedom of speech and freedom to protest. The mayor outright took these freedoms from him via intimidation and force, because he chose not to stand for the pledge. Not even going to lie, the whole civil religion surrounding the Pledge of Allegiance is becoming more and more fascist as time goes on.

Who cares if he's disrespectful to the US military? Maybe he hates the military and thinks it's an evil force in the world. Why do you get to arrest him for that?

[QUOTE]Rees said he considered the man’s refusal to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to be disrespectful to American military troops who are serving overseas and others who have given their lives in defense of freedom.[/QUOTE] Ugh, I'm calling horseshit on that one. More like "you offend my petty, arrogant sense of 'you must be THIS patriotic to participate in democracy'". :rolleyes: Honestly, the whole implicitly Christian, navel-gazing routine of a prayer and the Pledge before every city council meeting/ball game/Congressional session/supermarket transaction in this country makes me sick. We're adults, we don't need to stand up and affirm our allegiance to our country and the Christian God before we can discuss city zoning and property taxes in our podunk town of 3,500 people. It's not the middle ages where we need to pledge fealty to our liege lord.

He had the right to remain seated. I guess everyone's rights go out the window when it hurts someone's feelings.

What's more American than kicking someone out for having ideas different than yours? That mayor sounds like a control freak. It's not about the country, the flag, the Pledge, or the military. It's about "I said you have to do it, so you have to do it". The cops should be ashamed of themselves, allowing themselves to be used that way. Doesn't anyone in law enforcement actually know the law?

He should sue them, it'll be easy money.

I haven't participated in the pledge of allegiance since grade school. Bunch of horse shit, being forced to say the pledge is disgusting in so many ways.

If you want people to respect the soldiers that died for us, here's a rule of thumb: If you force someone to show respect, it is worse than the respect never being there to begin with. After all, they did die for our [I]freedom[/I].

sounds like a first amendment violation if you ask me.

Nothing says "Freedom" louder than removing your right to remain seated.

This reminds me of when I pissed off a teacher in high school by not standing up for the pledge (I was doing some work I needed to get done) and the principal told me I would be suspended if I sat down again. I stood up the rest of the year (my classes had assloads of work and I didn't need further stress) but damn was that policy 1. dumb and (more importantly) 2. unconstitutional.

To me there is something extremely creepy about a pledge of allegiance, especially if you make kids to do it in school.

I remember when my conservative friends on facebook got offended by Obama not putting his hand over his heart during our national anthem. You don't put your hand over your heart during the national anthem because you're not pledging to anything you dummy

[video=youtube;Q2BfqDUPL1I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2BfqDUPL1I[/video]

[QUOTE=Milkshaker;45864738]So, this is like me not bowing to the queen right? If so, fuck that United States of fucking idiocy[/QUOTE] 1 man = entire country, fuck off.

[QUOTE=duckmaster;45865311]1 man = entire country, fuck off.[/QUOTE] More than one person in authority was involved in this and it reflects widespread existing attitudes Although saying "fuck that United States of fucking idiocy" is a bit dickish

[QUOTE=duckmaster;45865311]1 man = entire country, fuck off.[/QUOTE] the fetishizing of patriotism (borderline-nationalism) and military in our country is much more prevalent than just one man let's be real.

[quote]Rees said he considered the man’s refusal to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to be disrespectful to American military troops who are serving overseas and others who have given their lives in defense of freedom.[/quote] This reminds me of the conservative splurge story about the atheist professor or whatever doing a lectures saying "if God exists, may he knock me down from this podium" and then an army veteran headbutts him and says "God's busy helping our troops protect your freedom to say shit like this, so he sent me" I've seen several people post that story in various places throughout the years and the irony that the veteran is interrupting, with violence, the man's freedom of speech (that God is allegedly protecting) never reaches these people.

[QUOTE=Gwoodman;45865012]Nothing says "Freedom" louder than removing your right to remain seated.[/QUOTE] Guess they didn't fight enough for the man to have the freedom to do whatever he wanted at that time.

The pledge of allegiance is nationalist nonsense. I hope it's done away with in my lifetime. [editline]1st September 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Helix Snake;45865407]This reminds me of the conservative splurge story about the atheist professor or whatever doing a lectures saying "if God exists, may he knock me down from this podium" and then an army veteran headbutts him and says "God's busy helping our troops protect your freedom to say shit like this, so he sent me" I've seen several people post that story in various places throughout the years and the irony that the veteran is interrupting, with violence, the man's freedom of speech (that God is allegedly protecting) never reaches these people.[/QUOTE] Goddamn I hate those stories that people share on Facebook. They're always so flawed in logic and so stupid, it amazes me how millions of people think it's good enough to hit the like button and share with their friends.

[QUOTE=Venezuelan;45865387]the fetishizing of patriotism (borderline-nationalism) and military in our country is much more prevalent than just one man let's be real.[/QUOTE] I'll take that over fetishizing self-loathing any day.

I stopped standing/putting my hand on my heart for the Pledge/National Anthem when I was 14, back in 2004. I figured I couldn't participate when there's still many minorities treated like second class citizens (like low income families, fathers in divorces, muslims) and even not being allowed the same rights as others (gays/lesbians), and the unhealthy glorification of war seems unethical too. Sort of a way to protest I guess?

[QUOTE=CrimsonChin;45865605]I stopped standing/putting my hand on my heart for the Pledge/National Anthem when I was 14. I figured I couldn't participate when there's still many minorities treated like second class citizens (like low income families, fathers in divorces, muslims) and even not being allowed the same rights as others (gays/lesbians), and the unhealthy glorification of war too. Sort of a way to protest I guess?[/QUOTE] GTFO my country you unamerican terrorist sympathizer

[QUOTE=Srillo;45865582]I'll take that over fetishizing self-loathing any day.[/QUOTE] sorry didn't realize not symbolically devoting my life to the government I'll later bitch about on Facebook is self-loathing

That mayor has the right idea. America is about loyalty to the state and nation. Not freedom. [QUOTE=Milkshaker;45864738]So, this is like me not bowing to the queen right? If so, fuck that United States of fucking idiocy[/QUOTE] My social studies class was interrupted by some random announcement like the Queens birthday or something and we ended up having to stand for God Save the Queen and make a pledge of loyalty. Me and a couple of my friends just sat there working and nobody cared.

I stopped standing during the pledge, and everyone around me assumed it was because I disliked Obama.