READERS RESPOND

I went to that wonderful school about 40-some odd years ago. At that time, we had Vietnam and many things going on. With all that’s going on in the world today, these kids decided to not say the Pledge of Allegiance. All I can say is the school, the kids, the students that are there — that’s a wonderful, wonderful place for education — ought to take those clowns out of student government and just boot them out, and just reinforce that everybody that lives here loves this country and the Pledge of Allegiance is important. If they don’t want to say “in god we trust” or “in god,” keep it to themselves. But don’t disgrace that wonderful school by having these clowns come out and put together an ultimatum saying they can’t say it.

So to all the students that are still going there, they ought to kick these clowns out.

JOSEPH CLEARY

Newport Beach

I am deeply offended that students that are being helped financially by our local government are not willing to be grateful enough for this American country that allows them to have education and aren’t grateful enough to at least say the Pledge of Allegiance.

DALE MCCOY

Newport Beach

The majority of Americans, including us, are exercising the right to choose to honor God in the pledge and must not be denied in favor of a minority. However, one recites the pledge only by choice.

SANDY and LAJOSH

MOHACHY

Newport Beach

I am completely outraged at these OCC student leaders stopping the Pledge of Allegiance at their meetings. What do they think our boys are over there losing their lives for? One of the reasons is so that we can say our Pledge of Allegiance. I am outraged at this and I think this should go all over the United States, because I’m sure that they would certainly be in the minority. I certainly hope that something very intense is done about this.

GLORIA MAE STANTON

Corona del Mar

I just retired from teaching up in Glendale as a Hoover High School career counselor. I cannot believe that the trustees would allow these students — their tuition is paid by the property tax owners — to not say the pledge. If that’s the case, and if they’re going to allow the students, then the trustees need to be recalled and they need to be replaced. Can you believe we have education practically free in this country, and they don’t want to say the pledge because they don’t want to say “under God?” No. That’s not even comprehensible.

We have to set our standards and that’s not setting standards. This is a free country, and they have that right. But they should not have that right at taxpayer’s expense. And they’re perfectly free to go to a private school.

JOAN CUNNING

Balboa Island

I am supporting OCC with my taxes from money I earned in America. If a student doesn’t want to participate in saying the Pledge of Allegiance, why is he staying in America?

ROSEMARY MCVICKER

Costa Mesa

As a 20-year military man and a Vietnam veteran, I am appalled that any American would refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Anyone who is a citizen of the United States of America should be ashamed to say he or she would not pledge allegiance to our flag. In my opinion, anyone who refuses to pledge allegiance to our flag should leave the United States and never return. Who do they think fights and dies for their freedoms?

It is the soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen that pledged their allegiance to the flag.

I wonder if they are even aware of what it means to pledge an allegiance. If the war came to our shores, would they fight for America or would they fight with the enemy? Their allegiance must lie somewhere. So I would recommend they pledge their allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

DON ELMORE

Costa Mesa

I think the Pledge of Allegiance is a worthy patriotic ritual. On the other hand, I, too, object to the inclusion of the phrase “under God.”

Though I believe in God, I don’t believe that “under God” should be in the Pledge of Allegiance. First, the pledge wasn’t part of the American culture until it was written for the Columbian Exposition — the Chicago World’s Fair — in the late 1800s.

Second, the original pledge did not include that phrase; it was added in the 1950s as a tool during the crazy “red scare” reign of Joe McCarthy — under the foolish assumption that no Communist would utter the words “under God” and therefore would be entrapped by not uttering the phrase during recitation of the pledge.

America is a country based on freedom of religion, thus indicating freedom of no religion. I believe so strongly in the Constitutional separation of church and state that I do not utter the phrase “under God” when I recite the pledge. Couldn’t the objectors do the same?

The occasion seldom arises to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Americans don’t even sing the National Anthem at ball games anymore! (They have it sung for them by a celebrity, for heaven’s sake!) Do school children pledge the flag and sing the National Anthem every morning anymore? I don’t think so. Patriotic displays are limited to fireworks on the Fourth of July, flag flying on certain holidays and politicians wearing flag pins in their lapels.

Putting “In God we trust” on the currency or “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance will not fool God into favoring our country, particularly when 1% of Americans, who control 90% of the wealth, show little concern for the true message brought to earth by God’s son, the Prince of Peace. “Love God above all and your neighbor as yourself.”

LIZ SWIERTZ NEWMAN

Newport Beach