From Capital New York:Melissa Mark-Viverito, one of the leading candidates to become the next City Council speaker, declined to say the Pledge of Allegiance at Council meetings until last month.
Mark-Viverito, an unabashed liberal who was arrested during an Occupy Wall Street protest, downplayed her silence, and her apparent change of heart.
"I have always stood for the Pledge of Allegiance," she said in a prepared statement. "I love this country and I love this city. Growing up in Puerto Rico, my dream was to come to New York because I knew it was the greatest city in the world."
Will Sweeney, an unpaid supporter, returned a call Capital placed with her staff on Monday night, and said that until now she was simply unfamiliar with the pledge.
"She's always stood, she's always respected it and she didn't realize," Sweeney said. "She grew up in Puerto Rico and they didn't do the pledge."
From Crain's:
But the person who persuaded Ms. Mark-Viverito to begin saying the pledge, Queens Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz, told The Insider that Ms. Mark Viverito's reasons for not doing so were actually ideological. Ms. Koslowitz also said Ms. Mark-Viverito's decision to start reciting the pledge came in the context of trying to line up a vote in the speaker race.
According to Ms. Koslowitz, she met with Ms. Mark-Viverito several months ago to talk about the Manhattanite's speaker ambitions, and Ms. Koslowitz questioned why she wasn't saying the pledge. It was an act of protest, Ms. Koslowitz recalled her saying.
"She wanted Puerto Rico to be independent," Ms. Koslowitz said. "She was looking for Puerto Rico to take its independence."
Some in Puerto Rico feel that the country still has a colonial relationship with the United States and should be completely separate. Ms. Koslowitz said the conversation was a "very emotional thing for her and for me."
Asked about the alternative explanation offered by the Mark-Viverito spokesman, Ms. Koslowitz dismissed the idea that Ms. Mark-Viverito had been "unfamiliar" with the pledge, especially since she's an elected official who frequently attends government-related events at which the pledge is recited. "She's a very smart woman whose lived in New York a long time," Ms. Koslowitz said. "She definitely knows what the Pledge of Allegiance is."
23 comments:
So why not stay in P.R, why come here at all. This is a person who deserves eternal scorn and ridicule. I for one am sick and tired of the classless, valueless and ethically bancrupt democrats who openly preach their anti American vulgarity with impunity. Remind again who are the extremists
First she's a supporter of anti-American Bolivian President Evo Morales, and now she wasn't "familiar" with the Pledge of Allegiance? If the rest of the Council elects her as Speaker, they'll be an even bigger laughing-stock than they are now.
Even though I was the best looking Joker, that Koslowitz dude looks pretty good, too.
She is an occupy extremist, she is an intolerant extremist, she is an anti America extremist. She is a leftist extremist
I was born and raised in the US, and I do not recite the pledge, because of the phrase "under God," which was added to the pledge in 1954.
Basically, Ms. Koslowitz offered some public relations advice to Ms. Mark-Viverito. The East Harlem Councilwoman ought to recognize that the majority of Puerto Ricans living in Puerto Rico oppose independence. Who is she to protest from her cushy position in New York?
I agree with Kurt. 'Under God' just doesn't work for me and many who are not religious. I always stood but did not recite, even in grade school.
That in no way makes me an extremist.
"...one Nation..indivisible..."
Indivisible?
That's why they tout Queens as being "diverse".
The Pledge of Allegiance. Is it is or is it ain't?
She didnt object on religious grounds, she refused to say it because she hates the USA. Perfect candidate for Speaker.
"I agree with Kurt. 'Under God' just doesn't work for me and many who are not religious. I always stood but did not recite, even in grade school."
__________________________________
"The Pledge of Allegiance's reference to "God" is NOT religious. It's ceremonial deistic.
Collectivist Mark-Viverito's opposition to the Pledge is ironic since it was concocted by another collectivist: Francis Bellamy.
Sieg Heil!
What a mess.
Gotta hand it to Koslowitz for outing this opportunist. No thanks to Sweeney for the pathetic cover-up.
Would have figured thought those roles would be reversed, especially since Viverito voted to destroy more of FMCP, one of Sweeney's pet causes.
'Under God' just doesn't work for me and many who are not religious. I always stood but did not recite, even in grade school.
One can honor the flag, and the country it represents, without being religious - you just say, "One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." You can just omit the two words that you find offensive.
"One can honor the flag, and the country it represents, without being religious - you just say, "One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." You can just omit the two words that you find offensive."
So you're saying one cannot be a citizen of this country unless they are religious?
I'm not an editor, I'm not going to take out words I find offensive. It's not my business to alter the words or intent of a writer.
Congress edited the words in. You can edit them out. Y'all can also stay on topic. This Is about the council member refusing to say the pledge based on non religious grounds.
Can someone please give me the phone number of Karen Koslowitz's photographer? I'm just sayin.....
"She wanted Puerto Rico to be independent," Ms. Koslowitz said. "She was looking for Puerto Rico to take its independence."
As I said here:
http://queenscrap.blogspot.com/2013/11/with-friends-like-these.html
"I’ll bet $1000 that she’s in favor of independence for Puerto Rico"
And I still stand by this bit:
"and simultaneously wants U.S. taxpayers to bail out Puerto Rico’s financial mess."
I COMPLETELY support independence for Puerto Rico, and favor sending all the ungrateful Puerto Rican hags who hate the U.S. such as Mr. Mark-Viverito on a one-way trip back home!
What a disgusting little person.
Yes, she's a hard-core leftist. And therefore a perfect candidate for speaker. De Blasio, James and her. The troika. Crapper is correct.
She has no choice whether or not to be American. American imperialism has enslaved her island of Puerto Rico. The FBI hunted down and killed one of the Puerto Rican leaders who wanted the Yanquis out of Puerto Rico not long ago. Americans are forcing her to be part of the United States. I hope she becomes leader of City Council. She seems a self-assured woman like Lolita Lebrón.
She has a choice about whether to live in America. If America is so bad, why become part of the government here? Makes no sense.
The Pledge of Allegiance to open a Council stated meeting. God Bless America to open the bottom of the 7th at Yankee Stadium.
Where does this horse hockey end?
The person who designed the first flag lapel pin deserves eternal scorn and condemnation.
Editorial cartoonist Bill Bramhall caught the essence of Melissa Mark-Viverito in Friday's cartoon in the Daily News
" . . . who's lived . . . "
The Pledge of Allegiance was written by a socialist and promoted by someone selling flags. It is simply ridiculous!
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