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Title: Voters Deciding Whether To Recall Official Over Pledge(refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance before board meetings.)
Source:
denver channel 7
URL Source: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/new ... .html?subid=22100484&qs=1;bp=t
Published: Mar 23, 2005
Author: ap/wire
Post Date: 2005-03-23 11:05:29 by hfrancis
Keywords: Pledge(refused, Allegiance, meetings.)
Views: 248
Comments: 26
TheDenverChannel.com Voters Deciding Whether To Recall Official Over Pledge Estes Park Recall Election Generating Lot Of Interest POSTED: 8:46 am MST March 22, 2005 UPDATED: 9:31 am MST March 22, 2005 A recall election is scheduled in Estes Park Tuesday for a town trustee who has refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance before board meetings. David Habecker sits while others stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. David Habecker, 59, refuses to stand and say the pledge because of the phrase "under God." He said the phrase violates his religious convictions and invites religion into a government function, violating the U.S. Constitution. Those who signed the recall petition said Habecker's position on the pledge should have been disclosed before he ran for public office. "His action as a personal protest is not what we want as a representative. He's taking a personal stand as an elected official," said Richard Clark, who has pushed for the recall. "We the people believe that his actions and his verbage do not represent us as citizens for a responsible government." However, Habecker said it wasn't an issue before because the pledge was just added to the trustees' agenda early last year. The board began reciting the pledge before meetings at the suggestion of Trustee Lori Jeffrey-Clark, calling it a way to show respect for the country during wartime. SURVEY Should a town trustee be recalled because he refuses to stand up and say the Pledge of Allegiance during Town Board meetings? Yes. No. Results | Disclaimer Habecker, who's served on the Town Board for 12 years, said he doesn't oppose the meaning of the pledge, and considers himself a patriot. However, he's also agnostic. "I do not believe that this book, that this God, that this country is under that God. I believe the framers of the Constitution had a separation there," said Habecker. "I'm sad for the community, that there is that much intolerance in our community. But if the people want to have a voice in what's going on, this is their way of doing it." Four candidates are vying to replace Habecker if he's voted out. The election is generating huge interest, with 280 absentee ballots already sent out. Town Clerk Vickie O'Connor said a typical Estes Park election draws about 60 absentee ballots out of 4,000 registered voters. More Information: Town of Estes Park Previous Stories: March 3, 2005: Recall Election Over Pledge Of Allegiance Reinstated February 11, 2005: Town Official Who Won't Recite Pledge Won't Face Recall Yet December 15, 2004: Recall Election Set For Trustee Who Won't Stand For Pledge Copyright 2005 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 
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#2. To: hfrancis (#0)
This is typical funlessmentalcase Christian BS. The pledge makes itself a target for being a deliberate foot in the door to try to leverage in unwanted religiousity. I have not said the pledge since my freshman year in high school. I refused to stand at first because of anger over the illegal and immoral war in Vietnam, and do not say it now precisely for the reason this gentleman will not. It imposes religion where it shouldn't, and should be dropped from use or have "under God" striken from it.
#3. To: Ferret Mike (#2)
Heck, it's absurd even without the abominable "Under God" part. Civilized people should not be pledging fealty to a flag or to a nation, but rather to the principles of freedom, liberty and individual rights. Of course, people take their pledge of allegiance just about as seriously as they do their wedding vows.
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