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Veterans pledge to resist court's ruling
By JORGE SANCHEZ, Times Staff Writer INVERNESS -- Even though it had no legal force in Florida, the court ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional sparked a protest rally Friday at area VFW posts. At the Veterans of Foreign War Post 4337 in Inverness, about 50 children led post members in the Pledge of Allegiance, using the phrase "under God." The event was repeated simultaneously at other VFW posts in Citrus and nationwide. "It's a case of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it,"' said Sterling Hayes, VFW 4337 commander and a World War II veteran. "Even though when I was taught the Pledge of Allegiance, the phrase wasn't there until Eisenhower put it in. But I'm all for leaving it in there." The ruling by the California-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this week drew national outrage. A three-judge panel from that court ruled that the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance threatened church-state separation. The senior judge quickly stayed its ruling, which affected only nine Western states. As a show of support for the pledge, about 50 children, students at the Withlacoochee Technical Institute's summer camp program, rode school buses to the Inverness VFW post on State Road 44 E to recite the pledge. They were then treated to refreshments before returning to the day care. "I think that we should stay together," said Andra Shega, 9, a summer camp student. "I think we should be one nation, under God, indivisible." Other veterans also expressed their disappointment. "We have freedom of speech. If you don't want to recite the pledge in school, you don't have to," said Bill Olson of the Inverness VFW. "I don't believe in the minority getting to call the shots, and that's what appears to be the case here." "It's been there so long that I don't think it's right to change it," said Paul Salyer, another vet at the Inverness VFW post. Similar feelings were expressed by those attending the Hernando VFW post Pledge of Allegiance event. "My feeling is that it (the California court decision) shows great disrespect not only to veterans and those serving overseas, but also to the American public as a whole," said Chuck Homrighouse, 59, senior vice acting commander of Hernando VFW Post 4252. I think the timing was very ill-advised, considering Sept. 11. This is the time to embrace our heritage and show respect for our flag and our country. I feel it isn't just schoolchildren who pledge allegiance to our flag, but to me that ruling singled out schoolchildren, who are the future of our country. This is the time we ought to be instilling them with patriotism and national pride". Charles Rowland, owner of Citrus Tire in Inverness, said: "There are too many people who never gave a thought to patriotism or love of this country until Sept. 11. "My wife (Kelley) and I have worn out five flags at our business. We've flown a flag since we opened 22 years ago." -- Times photographer Steve Hasel contributed to this report. Jorge Sanchez can be reached at 860-7313 or sanchez@sptimes.com.
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