Death Threats for Councilman Who Won’t Stand for the Pledge

[dogday]

Tom Rawles won’t stand for Bush’s Iraq policy--or for the Pledge of Allegiance, either.

He’s no leftwing protester. He’s a registered Republican and a libertarian who voted for Bush in 2000. A lawyer, he also is a member of the city council of Mesa, Arizona, and formerly a Maricopa County board member.

While he’s not worried about his own safety, Tom Rawles of the Mesa City Council is worried “about the future of freedom in this country.”Most of his colleagues on the city council did not take kindly to his decision not to stand for the Pledge or to recite it at the January 22 meeting.

He vowed then to continue his protest until the troops come home.


http://www.progressive.org/mag_mc021207

[Bluzmann57]

1. "With Liberty and Justice for all"

"As long as you agree with us, that is."

[bonito]

2. Viewing the movie dead poets society

would be helpful to many imho.

[dkofos]

3. Good for him. And a repube no less.

[gratuitous]

4. Dear Mr. Rawles

Keep a careful eye on who supports your right to take your stance, whether they agree with it or not, and who calls you a traitor or just doesn't "take kindly" to your exercising your constitutional rights.

Think then, since you appear to have more than the standard allotment of working brain cells typical of conservatives, about just which party better represents your views.

Good luck, Mr. Rawles.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

5. Captain, My Captain

BRAVO:yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[EST]

6. Let me see if I can surround this-

The constitution specifically states that a public servant must swear or affirm fealty to protecting the constitution and defending it from all destroyers thereof, foreign and domestic. Could the "pledge, therefore, be unconstitutional?

The pledge substitutes swearing fealty to the flag, to the republic, described as one nation (empire, anyone) having a particular deity-often called "GOD"-and having as its commendable options, liberty and justice for all. (All rich and powerful ie-just us)

There is no republican on the face of the earth who actually believes in liberty and justice for all, so they are lying and pledging, all in one breath.
This also makes me wonder if this man is a publiclown or a libertarian, and, if a libertarian, a conservative or liberal one.

I wonder if that nebulous god that they use as a "gravitas increaser" and "godless communism, whatever persecutor" would take kindly to all that pure bullshit with her name in the middle of it.

I use "republican" throughout because democrats, as a rule, do not threaten, ala binLaden, death to anyone who doesn't toe the line.
Allowing for a few death penalty advocates, here and there, in cases of child torture, rape and murder.

[immoderate]

7. Mesa, huh?

That's a tough place to take a stand like that. Many Republicans in that area consider Barry Goldwater a flaming liberal. Good luck, Mr. Rawles. Come over to the real side.

--IMM

[Egalitarian]

8. Good on him. The only allegiance a human

should have is to one's self. If we began with honesty within, then we would have honesty without (in our actions). IMO, pledging allegiance has helped set the stage for where we are today in the midst of creeping fascism. It's a rather interesting study to reflect upon how 12(school) years of pledging allegiance shapes one's thinking.

[dogday]

9. Good For HIm

One person can make a difference....