A college professor has been placed on leave after she allegedly forced her class to sign a pledge to vote for President Obama in the upcoming elections.
Early last week Professor Sharon Sweet at Brevard Community College (BCC) allegedly told students to sign a pledge that reads: “I pledge to vote for President Obama and Democrats up and down the ticket.” The pledge was printed off of GottaVote.org, a website funded by the Obama campaign.
University administrators said they learned about the incident late Thursday afternoon and launched an investigation, after they received a phone call from a concerned parent.
“Based on the allegations, Associate Professor Sweet has requested, and been granted, a leave of absence without pay effective immediately,” reads a statement put out by John Glisch, Associate Vice President for Communications at BCC.
Obama campaign is trying to get college professors to do this sort of thing nationwide. Bringing in people to sign up volunteers got another professor busted at Ohio State.
No they are not.
The more I Google, the more I conclude this story is BS.
The Obama administration is doing a “get out the vote” campaign, which is no different than any other election.
It seems like Dvorak News is slowing drifting towards being Fox Nation.
Shoot now Aim later.
So someone please explain how this is ANY different to when a heap of churches instructed their congregations to vote for Bush?
After all, the churches get out of paying their fair share of taxes so its pretty much the same as giving money to collages from government coffers.
The ONLY difference I can think of is that its much harder to get teens and young adults to vote one way than it is to compel a bunch of brainwashed idiots who believe in a giant Sky Daddy to vote the other.
Not that I think that either is acceptable in any way.
Churches aren’t acting as the state, as an arm of government, as someone in control of your life and asperations. You can easily change Churches, not so with Colleges and their 4 year courses of education leading to a degree and your first job.
Lots of BIG differences. Also–its not “illegal” for Churches to do this, they just lose their tax free status. You know how often that happens.
“as someone in control of your life and aspirations.”
You’re kidding right? Thats ALL churches seek to do.
And they DIDN’T lose their tax free scam.
Oh Zybch–you make it hard to be polite. You can quit one church and join another one==very easily. Not so with College.
Try to keep up.
I agree with most of what you say. If not the tone of how you said it. I always believed that “Separation of Church and State” should work both ways. And that religion should stay out of politics, completely. And not try to influence or dictate who their congregation should vote for. Have the leaders, no faith in their followers?
But obviously all the major religions (save the Amish) in the US, have taken to doing just that. And Tv outfits like “The 700 Club” get their tax exempt status threatened. When they spend too much of their resources promoting Republicans, when ever the Democrats are in power. 🙂
How’s it different than church? Well, for starters, those that paid tuition were in that class to learn Algebra, presumably because they were interested in getting a job.
Another key difference was that the campus is a public university and it is specifically against the law for its employees to discriminate based on political persuasion (among numerous other categories) and also to campaign when paid to . . . teach algebra, in this case.
Maybe you are unaware that there is no state religion and churches are private entities. As such, a pastor, priest, or rabbi can instruct his or her followers on any number of topics pertinent to the congregation, including what public policy would be antithetical to their religion and which candidate is a proponent of such policies.
Hope you understand now. Happy to help.
As such, a pastor, priest, or rabbi can instruct his or her followers on any number of topics pertinent to the congregation, including what public policy would be antithetical to their religion and which candidate is a proponent of such policies.
Not true. In order to qualify for non-profit status, churches are expected to be politically neutral.
After all, Democrats go to church, too.
However, it is easy to see that the rules of non-profit status are never enforced.
There is no law enforcement arm that monitors the propaganda of churches and revokes their non-profit status.
I think churches should be taxed like any other business, but then the Republicans would lose their propaganda outlet.
Yep that’s why Obama had those meeting with black ministers some of whom have repudiated him because his views aren’t consistent with what they read in the New Testament about leading a righteous life.
I get a little chuckle whenever someone misspells a word like “colledges”… And I’m a high school drop-out!
Like those churches urging parishioners to vote for the other guy? They still don’t have to pay taxes.
I agree this was wrong. This nonsense belongs in a tax exempt church, not a public school.
“Must be” grounds for termination if this is a government facility, “should be” fired if it is private. dont care enough to look it up. As a good anti-theist, it wouldn’t bother me at all to pledge whatever not to alienate the Prof, then vote as I desired.
NFS–still no links huh? Does your knowledge of the inner workings of the Obama campaign come from the same knowledge base as your affirmation that RMoney will win in November?
You know, NFS–when you are positive about something that has yet to happen, you lose credibility on those things that supposedly already have.
Think about it. Your advocacy actually turns off independent voters who have a brain to think with.
Depending on how it is set up it might be legal at private educational institutions.
People can get together and set up all sorts of private, and sometimes unaccredited, schools to teach all sorts of things including I suppose worshiping at the feet of Obama.
From a state-funded community college no less. You know, the ones lack of funding have been annihilating for years due to government neglect. Who needs edumacation anyway? Fly a drone and praise Jesus!
Obama had no plans to turn that around in his first 4 years. I don’t it happening in his next 4 either.
I find it more interesting that she requested the leave of absence
“Based on the allegations, Associate Professor Sweet has requested, and been granted, a leave of absence without pay effective immediately,”
I guess that looks better on her resume then it saying she was fired.
Dear government funded schools, don’t tell my kids who to vote for and don’t teach them about anything real science can’t back up.
Rude—you sound like a man I half agree with. Yes–keep the government out of politics.
but I am curious. Since the government doesn’t know real science from true belief, shouldn’t they be banned from teaching any science at all? Just as in politics?
—or—what science do you agree is real enough to be allowed into the Classroom?
This may be too much a tangent but I recall the Germans banning theoretical physics because it was based on Jewish Math. Ha, ha. Demonstrating your point rude: government should stay out of science all together. Let Real Science be taught in the Religious Schools of your choice.
Sorry bobbo, screwed up the reply too…
I should have clarified, don’t teach “MY” kids about creationism.
Others can send their kids to a private, church, based school they feel comfortable with. This way they get both their political views and scientific beliefs they agree with.
These things do not belong in public schools I pay for (via taxes)
Oh. Gee Whiz. My Bad. We agree completely. Funny how the written word can come out opposite.
Everyone here knows the New Format Sucks–but they both refuse to fix themselves. Those who care will follow an idea as it appears in the thread –so no real problem until the New Format Sucks creates a new page.
Interesting forum here. I’d say its about 50/50 between thinking and non-thinking. The non-thinking over post though calling for heroics efforts on my part to strike a balance.
Ha, ha….. but I’m off my new more sedate persona. RATS. I hate it when that happens.
Define: Real Science==what creationists and other flat earthers/true believers call any science they disagree with.
Science==what the dictionary says.
Obviously the right will froth on this, which has no end of entertainment value.
thou shalt not be perverse in thy thoughts, all of you children
What no one seems to realize is that the college Prof. didn’t have any way of policing this pledge. Or punishing those that violated it. All it was is a tool of intimidation, for weak minds. If grades count on taking the pledge. Then simply take it, but vote anyway you feel like, or not at all. There’s no way of the college knowing who you voted for, or if at all, in the general election. Just lie about it. As they do, for other things. The only thing adhering to a pledge proves, is how naive and manipulable, one is.
Thanks for repeating what I posted above…. it allows me to add that the link does say the complaint was made by a parent…. so I think our kiddies are thinking for themselves just as the parents are not.
Kinda gives me faith in the next generation.
The only thing worse than an educated idiot is an educated idiot in charge.
Funny how educated idiots think they are so smart…but they only impress other idiots and themsleves.
Why is it so hard to believe creationism, but easy to think everything just appeared…that even in billions of years the solar system works like a clock. Talk about far fetched.
Doug Sherwood—you make a compelling point. I’m so glad you aren’t in charge.
Get off your talking points and read a book on any given subject …. just once?
There is NO EVIDENCE, NO TESTABLE FALSIFIABLE HYPOTHESIS for creationism while there is all that for The Big Bang.
“Everything” did not appear at once. You do know roughly how the universe started and formed to what we see today and where it is going? There are some nice Discovery TV shows on the issue: “Evolution of the Universe” or “Big Bang Theory” Easy to google.
Now, stop embarrassing yourself.
Creationism and the Big Bang theories… The devil is in the details.
Mr. Proton and Mr. Electron meet the God particle, Mr. Higgs Boson.
Maybe one day, all the fables and parables will be sorted out by a superior mind. Who will this entity be?
Dear Bozo….
Funny that you believe everything you are told, but don’t have the guts to check out the other side.
Have you ever read the Bible – you know book about creation, or is being spoon fed by some good enough for you?
Read it first…then you decide. Don’t let others who don’t believe in God feebily attempt to explain how there can’t be a God? Think for your self.
There is no evidence – really? Are you also blind?
Doug Sherwood says:
9/18/2012 at 3:17 am
Dear Bozo….
Funny that you believe everything you are told, but don’t have the guts to check out the other side.
Have you ever read the Bible – you know book about creation, or is being spoon fed by some good enough for you?
Read it first…then you decide. Don’t let others who don’t believe in God feebily attempt to explain how there can’t be a God? Think for your self.
There is no evidence – really? Are you also blind?
/////////// Dear Doug: you missed it from last week, or maybe the week before. My take away from an excellent thread/comment: if religion could be reasoned with, there would be no religion.
Yea, verily.
I have read and studied the Bible extensively.
I have applied critical thinking to the Bible the same as I would any novel, movie, or ancient manuscript.
There is no reason to believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. You may willfully choose to believe such nonsense, but that is your choice as a matter of faith.
Fortunately, the Constitution protects those of us who do not agree that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
If you read the bible critically, you are missing the whole point of religion.
Don’t get me wrong. It is perfectly fine to use critical analysis on the bible or an religious text.
But if that’s all you do — you don’t understand inspiration.
When the seed of evil was planted.
“BCC was also the site for campaign stops in the 2008 presidential race, with then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama holding a rally on the Titusville Campus”
The plan is for all people to pledge allegiance to the state. The government is what we all belong to.
None of the bumpkins here bothered to go to the source web site and do an About to see what political party produced and directed this.
Good Luck to the Bumpkinses!
Bumpkins worry about the source more than they worry about the truth. if it’s not true, than run with that, show us something.
She should be kicked in the face with an iron boot then fed feet first into a wood chipper (feet first so she can realize the horror first).
Remember kids – a vote for a Democrat is a vote against humanity.
This story needs a BS meter.
Buy your Obama flag now, just $35. Nazi salute most appropriate.
That’s the perfect insight in a thread like this.