CC Minutes - 07/11/11 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Nick Urhausen, 3058 Hawkins Lane, suggested it was both a privilege and a right for people to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. He would not compel anyone to say the pledge but he did not think people had the right not to hear it. It did not take long to say the pledge. Mr. Urhausen pointed out that Eugene was a political entity of the United States whether the community liked it or not. He found it hypocritical that the council had discussed the peace dividend it wished to receive from the same nation that some councilors were reluctant to say the Pledge of Allegiance to. Mr. Urhausen recalled that the community had voted to fly the flag on Skinner Butte and suggested the council place a measure regarding the pledge on the ballot. Al Rogers, 528 Kingswood Avenue, did not understand the council's decision to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at only four meetings. He said the pledge contained 31 words and it took only 12 seconds to say it. He expressed concern that those opposed to saying the pledge did not take time to learn the meaning behind the words of the pledge. Mr. Rogers suggested that residents' recognition of the contribution of veterans in combination with the pledge would help local veterans feel more appreciated. Diane Thurlow, 217 Crest Drive, questioned how Councilor Taylor could compare the voluntary recital of the Pledge of Allegiance with the voluntary reading of the Communist Manifesto and how Councilor Brown could suggest that the pledge should only be said on residents' private property. She suggested that several councilors did not like what the country stood for and sought a "One World Order" where no country had more than any other country. That would require the United States to be destroyed. She maintained such individuals had hijacked the word "progressive" and were using it to justify tax increases and declines in education and moral values. Ms. Thurlow said such individuals discussed diversity but only tolerated those who shared their viewpoint. She asked what about the pledge was divisive. She suggested that the councilors involved were receiving a lot of quality from the nation they were reluctant to pledge allegiance to. Ms. Thurlow maintained that Mayor Piercy was affiliated with the organization "Code Pink," an anti - Israeli organization that sponsored the two flotillas attempted to break Israeli's Gaza blockade, which was established to prevent arms smuggling. Code Pink worked hand in hand with former members of the Weather Underground on such missions. She characterized Mayor Piercy and other members of the council as enemies of the people and urged citizens to speak up and defend the pledge, the original Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the flag, and the values that had made the nation great. Bob Macherione, 1994 Brewer Street, owner of a business at 6 Avenue and Lincoln Street, suggested that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance did not necessarily make one a good citizen of the community. He respected everyone's right to say the pledge or not. All were citizens of the same country and deserved the same level of respect. Mr. Macherione said he had not personally expected to have his free speech threatened by anonymous complaints about Sign Code violations and had not expected personal attacks on his opinions from the acting head of Lane Transit District (LTD). He was a member of the public and a taxpayer and was trying to provide some information that he had been told was welcome. If his input to LTD was not valid he wondered whose input was valid. Mr. Macherione intended to return to his message, which was that LTD could give free student passes to everyone because it would not reduce the agency's cost not to do so. He said that LTD had a $36 million budget and lost $50,000 monthly, and for that amount was willing to throw 10 percent of its ridership off the bus. Mr. Macherione thought that was wrong. It was improper for a transit system that asserted its own progressiveness to stop that service. MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 11, 2011 Page 2 Regular Meeting