The Funny Farm

Have you heard about this in my own State of California.  The aboved videos are a group of students who were attending a leadership camp that ended with a tour of the State Capitol.  While in the Rotunda, the group spontaneously decided to sing these to songs... and then they were reprimanded.  Here is the story from One News Now:

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Officials at the California State Capitol are under fire for stopping a student tour group from singing the national anthem in the capitol rotunda. 

Launch into an a cappella version of the Star Spangled Banner in the California State Capitol and a group could find themselves facing Capitol Security and officers of the California Highway Patrol. And that is what happened, says Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, when a group of students touring the capitol, as part of the "City on a Hill" education program, spontaneously began to sing the national anthem.
 
"Upon hearing the students, a security guard there silenced them and said that they could not sing the national anthem unless they had a special permit to do so," explains Dacus. "This was an egregious abuse of discretion and a violation of the First Amendment rights of these students to be able to express patriotism and their love for their country."

Dacus adds the singing was not planned in advance and was not, in any sense of the word, a protest. "These students were not being disruptive in any way of anything that was taking place. There was no other event going on. There was no function of government that was being interrupted," he contends.

He argues that "such spontaneous expression of love for...country should never, ever be stifled by government when it's in no way creating a disturbance of any kind...."
 
Pacific Justice Institute sent a letter to the Chief Sergeant at Arms for the Capitol informing him that citizens have a First Amendment right to express themselves in the capitol rotunda as long as they are not being disruptive, and that any future attempt to interfere with that right will result in appropriate legal action.

Have you heard about this in my own State of California.  The aboved videos are a group of students who were attending a leadership camp that ended with a tour of the State Capitol.  While in the Rotunda, the group spontaneously decided to sing these to songs... and then they were reprimanded.  Here is the story from One News Now:

 ***************************************************************************************************

Officials at the California State Capitol are under fire for stopping a student tour group from singing the national anthem in the capitol rotunda. 

Launch into an a cappella version of the Star Spangled Banner in the California State Capitol and a group could find themselves facing Capitol Security and officers of the California Highway Patrol. And that is what happened, says Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, when a group of students touring the capitol, as part of the "City on a Hill" education program, spontaneously began to sing the national anthem.
 
"Upon hearing the students, a security guard there silenced them and said that they could not sing the national anthem unless they had a special permit to do so," explains Dacus. "This was an egregious abuse of discretion and a violation of the First Amendment rights of these students to be able to express patriotism and their love for their country."

Dacus adds the singing was not planned in advance and was not, in any sense of the word, a protest. "These students were not being disruptive in any way of anything that was taking place. There was no other event going on. There was no function of government that was being interrupted," he contends.

He argues that "such spontaneous expression of love for...country should never, ever be stifled by government when it's in no way creating a disturbance of any kind...."
 
Pacific Justice Institute sent a letter to the Chief Sergeant at Arms for the Capitol informing him that citizens have a First Amendment right to express themselves in the capitol rotunda as long as they are not being disruptive, and that any future attempt to interfere with that right will result in appropriate legal action.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by morningsunshine
I am impressed they even knew the words - so few people, especially young people, do these days.

and of course you cannot sing the Star-Spangled Banner in a government facility now. it mentions God, albeit not until the last verse which no one sings. but still.....

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by GypsyFarmGirl
I am just not surprized at all at the enforcement our government tries to police us in shutting us up even if we are patriotic, I think its time to have a revolution......

Jeannie