Mayor Forces Man To Leave Public Meeting Because He Won’t Stand During Prayer

[Bob N]

Mayor orders police to remove man who wouldn't stand for Pledge of Allegiance

A Florida mayor ejected one of his constituents from a City Commission meeting on Thursday because he declined to stand during the invocation and pledge to the flag at the beginning of the meeting.

Winter Garden Mayor John Rees, a nonpartisan official leading an Orlando suburb of about 37,000, was caught on video demanding that an audience member stand for a prayer, which thanked God for “allowing us to live in a country where we’re free to believe, think, and pray.”

The audience member responded, “I don’t believe I have to do that, thank you.” After the prayer, Rees again instructed the constituent, identified by the Orlando Sentinel as Joseph Richardson, to stand for the pledge to the flag as “children have to in school.” Richardson again politely declined.

“Okay. I asked him to either stand or please be escorted out as we do the Pledge,” Rees says in the video. “It’s just not fair to our troops and people overseas, sir.”

City police then enforced the mayor’s demand and Richardson left...

I personally believe that Mr. Richardson's First Amendment Rights were infringed upon--especially while being coerced to vacate by an officer.

 

[Your Star]

Yeah, this is simply unacceptable.

 

[Paschendale]

Yeah, that's a pretty blatant violation. Nobody has to pray to anything, or pledge to anything. That includes that parts besides the words, like standing or kneeling or removing or putting something on your head.

 

[Bob N]

Yeah, that's a pretty blatant violation. Nobody has to pray to anything, or pledge to anything. That includes that parts besides the words, like standing or kneeling or removing or putting something on your head.

That's just as bad as having to take a religious test before running for office.

 

[CanadaJohn]

Mayor orders police to remove man who wouldn't stand for Pledge of Allegiance






I personally believe that Mr. Richardson's First Amendment Rights were infringed upon--especially while being coerced to vacate by an officer.

Clearly, the Mayor has the authority to remove anyone from a meeting he is chairing if he feels the individual is disrupting the meeting. That said, there was no disruption other than that caused by the Mayor himself. When did people in America become so emotional and easily offended?

Just as an aside, is there some kind of dress code uniform on this city council? Seems everyone is wearing the light blue cotton button down shirt - kind of creepy, if you ask me.

 

[Bob N]

Clearly, the Mayor has the authority to remove anyone from a meeting he is chairing if he feels the individual is disrupting the meeting. That said, there was no disruption other than that caused by the Mayor himself. When did people in America become so emotional and easily offended?

America is not so emotional and easily offended; it's Mr. Brees that is so emotional and easily offended because he wants people to believe exactly like he does, and he has no real conception of the US Constitution.

 

[shrubnose]

Mayor orders police to remove man who wouldn't stand for Pledge of Allegiance

I personally believe that Mr. Richardson's First Amendment Rights were infringed upon--especially while being coerced to vacate by an officer

.

His rights were blatantly infringed upon.

I'll be surprised if this doesn't result in a lawsuit.

 

[Bob N]

His rights were blatantly infringed upon.

I'll be surprised if this doesn't result in a lawsuit.

Probably why Mr. Richardson was so polite and compliant during his removal.

 

[CanadaJohn]

America is not so emotional and easily offended; it's Mr. Brees that is so emotional and easily offended because he wants people to believe exactly like he does, and he has no real conception of the US Constitution.

This is anecdotal of a much larger phenomenon in America - if you think it's only Mr. Brees, you're not paying attention.

 

[CanadaJohn]

His rights were blatantly infringed upon.

I'll be surprised if this doesn't result in a lawsuit.

Another example of what's wrong with America - every waking hour is an opportunity to be offended and then launch a frivolous lawsuit.

 

[Bob N]

This is anecdotal of a much larger phenomenon in America - if you think it's only Mr. Brees, you're not paying attention.

I don't know of too many stories where people are removed from a room for not standing during a prayer or reciting the "pledge of allegiance."

 

[CanadaJohn]

I don't know of too many stories where people are removed from a room for not standing during a prayer or reciting the "pledge of allegiance."

Sorry - I didn't realize you missed the entire point I made in my original comment - never mind.

 

[RogueWarrior]

Another example of what's wrong with America - every waking hour is an opportunity to be offended and then launch a frivolous lawsuit.

Since when it is frivolous to stand up for your rights as defined in the constitution?
How else are these numbties going to learn?


Suing McDs because you were dumb enough to put a very hot coffee in between your legs and then spilling it is frivolous.

 

[Bob N]

Sorry - I didn't realize you missed the entire point I made in my original comment - never mind.

Funny. I was thinking the same.

 

[shrubnose]

Another example of what's wrong with America -

every waking hour is an opportunity to be offended and then launch a frivolous lawsuit.

You might think that a lawsuit about this is frivolous, but you're not an American.

 

[TacticalEvilDan]

You might think that a lawsuit about this is frivolous, but you're not an American.

... which has absolutely nothing to do with the rightness, wrongness, or validity of his opinion.

That said, the mayor is an idiot and should have to pay the inevitable settlement personally.

 

[shrubnose]

... which has absolutely nothing to do with the rightness, wrongness, or validity of his opinion.

That said, the mayor is an idiot and should have to pay the inevitable settlement personally

.

I totally agree,

Incidents like this are how they slowly take away your rights, one step at a time.

If the mayor and his good buddies want to get down on their knees and kiss the floor, that's their business.

But they have no right to force others to join them.

 

[CanadaJohn]

Since when it is frivolous to stand up for your rights as defined in the constitution?
How else are these numbties going to learn?


Suing McDs because you were dumb enough to put a very hot coffee in between your legs and then spilling it is frivolous.

Noted - still frivolous. Hopefully the man has better things to do with his life than clog up the court system with another vanity suit.

 

[Hard Truth]

... which has absolutely nothing to do with the rightness, wrongness, or validity of his opinion.

That said, the mayor is an idiot and should have to pay the inevitable settlement personally.

He won't. It never works that way. Taxpayers pay for the mistakes made by politicians and governmnet employees. Stockholders and consumers pay for the mistakes of company board members, executives and employees. Those who make the decisions and mistakes in an institution are rarely held accountable, especially the people at the top.

 

[CanadaJohn]

Funny. I was thinking the same.

Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I'll explain again - as in my original post. The MAYOR was the only one causing a disruption. Again, when did America (in this example, the MAYOR) become so emotional and easily offended?

Got it now??

 

[Hard Truth]

Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I'll explain again - as in my original post. The MAYOR was the only one causing a disruption. Again, when did America (in this example, the MAYOR) become so emotional and easily offended?

Got it now??

It started with the Puritans, maybe earlier.

 

[CanadaJohn]

You might think that a lawsuit about this is frivolous, but you're not an American.

I could be from Mars and it wouldn't change the fact that a lawsuit related to this would be frivolous. Perhaps, being American, and easily offended, you've lost an understanding of the concept.

 

[brothern]

Suing McDs because you were dumb enough to put a very hot coffee in between your legs and then spilling it is frivolous.

The woman literally got third degree burn on her lady parts which required skin grafts and 2 years recovery. Not only that, but it was found in discovery that it was McD's policy to serve their coffee at 180-190 degrees (third degree burns in 2-7 seconds); and that this policy had caused hundreds of previous injuries and out of court settlements against McD's.

It was obvious negligence on McD's part.

 

[Bob N]

Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I'll explain again - as in my original post. The MAYOR was the only one causing a disruption. Again, when did America (in this example, the MAYOR) become so emotional and easily offended?

Got it now??

Never mind. You are not getting what I'm trying to convey.

 

[shrubnose]

I could be from Mars and it wouldn't change the fact that a lawsuit related to this would be frivolous. Perhaps, being American, and easily offended,

you've lost an understanding of the concept.

I totally understand that people in the USA have more freedom of speech than people do in a lot of other countries because we've fought for it in and out of court.