[Vision2020] City Council and the Pledge

[Sunil Ramalingam]

And by your logic, Donovan, those with nothing to hide should not mind 
opening their bags, vehicles, and homes to searches by the police.  They 
should welcome warrantless searches of these, as well as monitoring of their 
email and phone conversations by the NSA.  If they're loyal, why object to 
such intrusions?

It is silly to think that somehow good governance follows because the pledge 
is recited.  Did the City Council's performance improve after they started 
saying the Pledge at meetings four years ago?  Wasn't the ludicrous Topless 
Ordinance enacted within the last four years?  The decision to pour money 
into the gym?  That was certainly in the last four years.  When former Mayor 
Comstock told residents in the neighborhood near the proposed ballfields to 
wear earplugs, was that inspired by the Pledge?  Was that responsive 
governance?

I honestly don't know how often the Pledge is recited by the President or 
Congress, but I don't see them serving our interests with either the war in 
Iraq or by running up staggering deficits.  I'd prefer they spend less time 
on the pledge, and more time avoiding bone-headed policies.

I won't be judging this council on the basis of whether they start their 
meetings with the Pledge of Alliegance.  I'll judge them on the basis of 
their responsiveness to the public and by the quality of their decisions.  I 
am more interested in what they do after the meeting starts than whether 
they can chant in unison at the beginning.

Sunil

>From: Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com>
>To: John Dickinson <johnd at moscow.com>, "'Phil Nisbet'" 
><pcnisbet1 at hotmail.com>,        nchaney at moscow.com
>CC: aaronament at moscow.com, vision2020 at moscow.com, johnd at moscow.com,        
>blambert at ci.moscow.id.us, jweber at ci.moscow.id.us,        "'Linda Pall'" 
><lpall at moscow.com>, bstout at ci.moscow.id.us
>Subject: RE: [Vision2020] City Council and the Pledge
>Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 23:37:17 -0800 (PST)
>
>John and Nancy,
>
>   I want to thank you for having the courage to write Vision2020 and 
>publicly address the issue of the Pledge of Allegiance.
>
>   However, I want to say that it saddens my heart and upsets my stomach  
>that you have removed the pledge of allegiance to our flag from your  
>bi-monthly meetings. I strongly believe that this is a step in the  wrong 
>direction, particularly at this time.
>
>  Granted, the  pledge is abused, misused, uttered with content, 
>repetition, and  without meaning to many, and its purpose is lost on many 
>more. But  regardless, the pledge was meant to illustrate to the public 
>your  loyalty to the people. It is a reminder to the corruptible, to  
>politicians that forget why they are there after many years of service,  
>and to those about to cast a vote to spite a political enemy or help a  
>personal friend, that their vote and loyalty belongs to and for all the  
>PEOPLE of Moscow, the people of Idaho, and the people of the United  
>States.
>
>  With all of the corruption, back room deals, and  dishonest politicians 
>in our mists, I believe it is important that  every elected official make a 
>public statement before casting a vote  that they acknowledge publicly WHY 
>and for WHO they are casting their  vote.
>
>  I am sorry to hear, Councilman Dickinson, that saying  the pledge twice a 
>month is too much for you. I for one feel that we  should be honored to say 
>it at least as much.
>
>  The irony  here is that we force our children every school day to take a 
>loyalty  to the nation when they know not the meaning of the word, and the  
>politicos that need to remind themselves and the people why they are  
>elected to office, excuse themselves from such commitments.
>
>   Mayor Cheney, Councilman Dickinson, and the other member of the  
>council, if you feel your oath to this city is unquestionable, if you  have 
>  unquestionable loyalty to  this nation, if you do not  question your 
>pride in this nation,  then their should be no  question to your 
>willingness to say the pledge twice a month that  children say five times a 
>week.
>
>   Sincerely,
>
>   Donovan J Arnold
>Proud United States Citizen and Moscow Resident