OPINION (Todd Starnes) – A raging battle over prayer and the pledge of allegiance at a Washington State community center took an ugly turn when military veterans were thrown off the property and elderly patriots were told to recite the pledge inside a closet. The board of directors at the Mullis Community Senior Center on San Juan Island decided to revise its lunchtime program by removing the traditional prayer and the recitation of the pledge. “We discovered that many of the incoming seniors were uncomfortable with an introductory
ceremony where the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer were recited,” they wrote in a letter to the San Juan Islander. The senior center went on to say they had a “duty to provide a safe and peaceful environment in our building and on our property, inclusive to all.” Minnie Kynch, a longtime member of the community center, told me that a majority of the citizens staged a rebellion and decided to show recite the flag in spite of the rule. So then, the operators of the community center decided to play hardball. READ MORE
