"Phony Patriotism"
So, in response to the spontaneous recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance reported below Jan Czarnik, League of Women Voters Executive Director, has declared that
Later in the story they quote her:
Czarnik said someone is not a better American just by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
“It’s a phony patriotism issue is what it is,” she said. “They must think it helps their campaign.”
I was there. I am not a phony patriot. I proudly rose, put my hand over my heart, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
Kathy Tate-Bradish of the League of Women Voters, the moderator at the event, spent more time arguing before and berating the audience after than it took to actually say the Pledge.
Big Government also has a story on this.
LWV Candidate’s Forum – Grayslake
Updated with video – see below:
Tonight we went to the League of Women Voters Candidate’s Forum at Grayslake Central High School. The auditorium was packed and people had to have tickets to get in. Tickets were limited to 400. We arrived about 20 minutes before tickets were due to be handed out and when we got there the line went around the side of the building.
A bit later someone came by with tickets and handed them out to people in line. Shortly after that the line started moving and we were able to go inside. It took a while for all the people to get into the auditorium and be seated. Once that happened candidates for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District Melissa Bean (incumbent D) and Bill Scheurer (Green) came onstage. There was a smattering of applause. Then Joe Walsh (R) walked out and the crowd went wild.
Students from Grayslake Central High School’s AP Government class planned and sponsored the debate. They served as timers and questioners, ushers and ticket takers. I commend the students and their teachers for a well run program.
The woman from the League of Women Voters moderated and before the debate got underway she told us the rules. No cameras, no talking, questions will be written down on index cards and a student will take the card to the teachers who will vet the cards for relevance, tone, and appropriateness. Then the question might be read out by one of the questioners on stage. Just before the start, someone in the audience asked if the Pledge of Allegiance would be said (there was a flag on stage). The woman from the LWV said no. It wasn’t something that was done. Some members of the audience then stood and started saying the Pledge. Pretty much the rest of the audience then rose and said the Pledge as well.
Update video: You can actually hear my voice saying the Pledge near the end of the video. I was right next to the camera this was filmed from.
Back to the regular post:
The woman from the LWV was upset. She said that the audience had disrespected her. She said she was “forced” to say the Pledge and that it had “obviously been planned”. As if we all decided in line to say the Pledge of Allegiance anyway if refused. I hadn’t even thought that the Pledge might not be said. This was a political candidate’s forum and the three candidates on stage were hoping to be elected to represent us in the Federal Government. Saying the Pledge of Allegiance at a political event in America should be a no-brainer.
I live-tweeted the event and reproduce the tweets below the fold (later comments in italics):
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Don't Get Cocky
Founding Bloggers say “Don’t get cocky, indeed” to Mike Huckabee over this song from the end of tonight’s show:
I thought it was funny, but agree with them and Glenn Reynolds, we can’t get cocky. It ain’t over until the weight challenged grand old dame vocalizes melodically.
IL 8th Debate 10-09-10
Debate between Joe Walsh, Bill Scheurer, moderated by Round Lake Beach Mayor Rich Hill. Melissa Bean was invited to participate and did not show up.
The video is about an hour and fifteen minutes, so here’s a link to download it.
Harvard to restore ROTC when DADT dies
What they don’t seem to understand, and I see this all over the place, is that repealing Don’t Ask – Don’t Tell will result in the military being required to ask. Then, if the military gets an answer that says that military member or potential recruit is gay, then the military member is discharged or the potential member is told “thanks, but no thanks.” DADT is not a ban, it’s a work-around of military regulations. Repealing DADT will not result in rainbows and unicorn farts. As it is, Harvard is saying that they will restore ROTC when the rules are made stricter. And this is supposedly one of sthe best institutes of higher ed in the US.
Amplify’d from www.insidehighered.com
Harvard Will Restore ROTC When ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Dies
Drew Faust, president of Harvard University, said in an interview with The Boston Globe Wednesday that the university will welcome a Reserve Officer Training Corps unit to campus as soon as the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy ends. Currently, Harvard students who wish to join ROTC do so through a unit at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but Faust said Harvard would welcome the chance to “regularize our relationship” with ROTC when “don’t ask, don’t tell” ends. In the Globe interview, Faust also said that Harvard was instituting new systems to detect fraud in admissions applications. These changes follow a much publicized case in which the university discovered that a student had faked much of the material in his application. Faust declined to detail the new systems, saying that to do so would undercut their effectiveness.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/bwwXof
Before and After
Grape and Cherry Tomatoes, halved, drizzled with oil and Kosher salt on the way to the oven at 175°F
[flickr]5000937439[/flickr] and after 8 hours… [flickr]5001537816[/flickr]
The tomatoes are now in a little jar in the fridge covered in canola oil, ready for whatever dish I want to add them to. Concentrated tomatoey goodness.
There, and Back Again
Taken yesterday at the Waukegan Air Show.
There
and Back Again
Never Forget
The complete list of 2996.
Paul Pansini:
From a profile published in the New York Times on 8/11/2002
Paul Pansini
World Trade Center
His Presence Is Everywhere
- Paul Pansini
- Paul Pansini
Paul Pansini loved the excitement of being a firefighter in downtown Manhattan, but his days off meant a great deal, too. Firefighter Pansini, 36, took his son, Paul Jack, now 7, and his twin daughters, Anna and Claire, now 3, everywhere when he was not working. “He was brave enough to even take them to the store,” his wife, Janice, recalled.
Since Sept. 11, the family has, in turn, felt his presence everywhere. “I feel him definitely in my house,” Mrs. Pansini said. The family lives in his childhood home in Tottenville in Staten Island. When they moved there in November 1994, the couple almost tore the century-old house down.
Now she is glad they did not. In Tottenville, they are surrounded by family members who keep his presence strong, including his sister, Loretta Halpert.
Lake George was Firefighter Pansini’s favorite spot in the world. This summer, as Mrs. Pansini packed for their annual vacation to the lake, Claire asked if they were going to meet Daddy there. “I’m blown away by how much they remember him,” Mrs. Pansini said. “I don’t think he knew how much he meant to so many people. He was a very comical person. The love of my life. People keep coming up to me and saying, `I miss him so much.’ ”
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Our thoughts and prayers go out every day to Paul’s friends, family, and coworkers at Ten House. Six men were lost that day from that Firehouse.
Click either picture to embiggen.
America Attacked Slideshow
A beautiful tribute to those lost on 9/11/2001
America Attacked (soundtrack is Only Time by Enya)
Never Forget
Miss You Daddy
Daddy passed away 8 years ago today. Here are some pictures from a happy day in our lives, Daddy, me, and the ’48 Packard Limo we hired!
