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Pledge amendment part of state budget

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By Everdeen Mason, Staff Writer Updated 7:22 PM Tuesday, July 14, 2009

HAMILTON — When state legislators passed the controversial state budget Monday, July 13, they also made way for Sen. Gary Cates’ Pledge of Allegiance amendment.

Cates’ amendment would prohibit Ohio’s 613 public schools from passing policies against reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms.

“I think every child should know the pledge and understand its meaning as part of learning about being a good citizen,” Cates, R-West Chester Twp., previously said. “If they choose not to recite the pledge, that’s OK. However, let’s not infringe on the right to be able to say it in school.”

Cates was inspired to create the amendment after complaints from parents of a northern Ohio district.

“Sen. Cates was contacted by parents in Oberlin City School District,” said a Cates staff member. “The district has a blanket policy that did not allow the Pledge of Allegiance in the schools.”

The amendment wouldn’t change practices in Hamilton City Schools.

“Our schools all say the Pledge of Allegiance; most schools do it every morning,” said George Jonson, vice president of the Hamilton Board of Education. “We certainly don’t plan to change it.”

Middletown Board of Education member John Sauter said students should not just recite the pledge, but should be taught to understand the meaning of the words.

"Just getting up and reciting the words in themselves is not enough. Every time you say the pledge of allegiance, you are making your personal pledge to this country," Sauter said.

The American Civil Liberty Union has called the amendment a violation of First Amendment rights.

“Local school districts know their communities best and should be permitted to make decisions that they feel are consistent with those they represent,” Christine Link, executive director of ACLU of Ohio, stated in a news release.

The ACLU is waiting to see the final language of the legislation, but has concerns, said Carrie Davis, ACLU staff attorney.

“Certainly we’re disappointed the legislator passed it. We’d hoped the governor would veto it,” she said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2192 or emason@coxohio.com.

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People like jim are creepy. and ignorant. and uneducated. and not all there. and are probably around us a lot more than we like. and creepy. and uneducated. and ignorant. and uneducated. and ignorant.

randy in mason
2:17 PM, 7/15/2009

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By golly if you don't praise and thank the government for your freedom, they will put you in jail.

yearning to be free
1:26 PM, 7/15/2009

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jim- So if I read you correctly... america, the land of the free, is only free for people like you to decide what the rest of people are allowed to believe. Your "freedom" doesn't allow for others to have their own civil liberties, but they are free to adopt yours?

By the way...what exactly is the "heritage" that you reference being taken away?

Alan
11:40 AM, 7/15/2009

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ptl- Isn't God omnipresent?... and if so, he never left your school. Current legislation has never kept religious expression from school grounds, it only forbids those school offcials with a religious agenda from making it an official school policy. You should be in support of this ruling. You'd likely be among the first to bellyache if one of your children's teachers who happened to be buddhist forced all of the children in his classes to pray...and only to Buddha.

Alan
11:32 AM, 7/15/2009

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Jim is absolutely correct! First, get rid of the ACLU folks. Then, bring God back into our schools so our children can learn of His greatness. My Imam has been saying this for years. Thanks, Jim, for your support.

praise the lord
9:39 AM, 7/15/2009

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