North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 03/16/1995

Tonight this could again be a daily routine for North Carolina State children. Good evening I'm Erin the heart shark. We're glad you could be here tonight. We all probably remember reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before class at school. Well tonight Elizabeth Hardy will examine a proposal in the legislature to reinstate that daily practice.

And right after that we'll talk with Representative Frances Cummings about her proposal to reinstate the practice of observing a daily moment of silence in the classroom. First tonight the Pledge of Allegiance. You probably said it when you were a kid at school but it's unlikely that your children have been saying it on a regular basis. But if Representative Ken Miller of aliments County has his way that could change. Elizabeth Hardy has this report. The sound of children promising their devotion to the United States flag and the country thrills representative Ken Miller. I'll tell you what I get swelled up and sigh and get tears in my eyes. I think it is a fantastic Miller wants the Pledge of Allegiance to be said on a daily basis. Miller would also like to require all classrooms to display the United States pride a symbol that's clearly missing in many school rooms. Nothing inappropriate about having a flag.

It's questionable whether or not you ask a child to pledge the flag as a symbol a nation and a solemn oath formed before students leave more elementary and looks like and what it represents. But when it comes to pledging allegiance to this flag on a daily basis that decision is left up to the individual teacher's discretion. My Sister Theresa Fitch Thompson's kindergarten class recites the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. We say the Pledge of Allegiance because we're shown our allegiance to the flag in the United States of America. Many of our forefathers fault. And for us to have the freedom to choose as we believe. And we really want to maintain that freedom. Most of these five and six year olds probably take the oath to be loyal to the U.S. flag and to obey the law of the land. Once you get your MNM

please start graphing them. I mean down the hall the second time the class are learning about fractions reciting the pledge is not part of their daily routine at least not yet. I think Allegiance is a hard word for a second grader and I think there is an age where it is appropriate to say the Pledge of Allegiance but those words are difficult I think and the meaning is hard for a second grader to counter a hand with. Can you translate some of the words of 1852 Frankel that Representative Miller doesn't believe children's limited vocabularies or problem. He believes kids understand what they're saying. The members of the American Civil Liberties Union say there are still forces people to promise allegiance to our flag. Instead of allowing that allegiance to be a choice. I am here to encourage this committee to admit and House bill 60

of us why I pledge classrooms to make it clear that neither students nor teachers are required to engage in words or actions that pledge allegiance to the flag. In 1943 the Supreme Court ruled that no one could be forced to take the patriotic. The ruling of the West Virginia State Board of Education versus Barnett States. We think the action of the local authorities in compelling the flag salute and pledge transcends constitutional limitations on their power and invades the spear of intellect and spirit which it is the purpose of the First Amendment to our Constitution to reserve from our official control. The bill sponsor says reciting the Pledge has never been mandatory in North Carolina. Individual school systems or principals usually make the choice or allow their teachers to decide. Cathy Jaegers fifth graders have learned the pledge in context with their other civics studies and we cite our pledge allegiance

what are we saying. Your older children seem to grasp the true meaning of the pledge. So you feel they might have to live just to another country. Under a mandate children would say the pledge sometime during the morning activities of a child or teacher does not feel comfortable reciting the pledge. They would simply step out of the room and not participate. The leaders of the Jehovah's Witness faith for example don't salute the flag. A tract called school on Jehovah Witnesses States we would like to emphasize that we need to have disrespect for any government or its rulers by our refusal to salute the flag. It is just that we will not in an act of worship bow down to salute an image representing the state other. Parents who grew up saying the Pledge of Allegiance seem to favor the idea of their children saying that they are gay and I think it's a right that that children have. It is like you say the flag is symbolic to our state and is for and as a nation as well.

Philip Braden has been a principal for 26 years. Regin says that the idea is to improve student conduct. The expectations from reciting the pledge may be unrealistic. Getting a 6 7 10 year old to make a solemn value to obey the laws of the country. I'm not sure that's going to be a significant unpretty behavior but Rigdon believes that even though many public schools no longer say the Pledge of Allegiance teaching values such as pride respect and honesty have never gone out of style. Representative Miller hopes that local civic groups would be willing to supply the flags to classrooms in their areas to save the state the cost of providing them. Another Republican lawmaker wants to revive another tradition for North Carolina schoolchildren. The observation of a moment of silence each morning before the school day begins. Elizabeth Hardy spoke to Representative Francis Cummings this afternoon. Is this really a way to promote prayer in schools. This bill as I indicated does not it they at all prohibit

religion. The bill is about more than religion or more than prayer in school. However based on our First Amendment rights do in the moment of silence if a child wishes to meditate he has that constitutional right. And I certainly see great importance in a chow offering prayer if that is his or her desire. Really haven't taken pray at a school because the Supreme Court decision is still developing. But when I look at what has happened in that absence of Christian point more around when I look at the fact that our SAT scores have gone. Chalo and all the other things that I just mentioned are the heads of families led by women. It's said this is an opportunity to go back

to where we were so our teachers can have a moment of silence with our classes now. Why don't they feel that they may be there some intimidation they're not sure whether they have the legal right to do this. And I simply want to let them know that this is their constitutional right to marry he said that you consider yourself a heavenly soldier. All of us have a mission and my mission is to work for with people. My mission is to help bring about peace which we so desperately need all of us. Our Heavenly soldiers on the battlefield of life. Some folks may say this is a way for you to promote to promote your religion and force it on schoolchildren.

This gives people the white to recognize their own religion. I am not promoting a specific religion. I just know that it is important that we stop and we pause and give recognition give thanks to our God. God almighty God the supreme being and I don't have a problem if your religious principles are not the same as mine. But I know that we all should recognize a supreme being and that there is an Almighty God. There is one more powerful than any of the one hundred and twenty legislators. So do you really believe that school children are going to use this 30 seconds or one minute to pray. Everybody is familiar with timeout. So now let's try a moment of silence and let's give it a meaning. Kids lead a meaningful life.

Prayer is life. And if that's what they want to do whatever young people want to use this moment of silence. I support it as long as they are quiet as long as they know it is a time for reflection. So do you have the support of the folks back home changes political parties after the election. How does that play in when this idea did not. It was not accepted by the Democrats. They became rather vindictive. They attacked me verbally. Someone shot my house but that did not stop me because here again that bullet would have come in my house had my home and I not been productive. So I've got to accept that challenge. I have been

able to stay afloat to move forward. I don't have a problem with what the people are doing. I'm happy with my eyes change to the most progressive party in the nation. The Republican Party because I know that we are about doing what needs to be done for people. If one woman is successful in taking prayer out of school here's an opportunity as I am inspired for a nother one to be successful. The final House vote on the moment of silence is expected tomorrow. Now here is Michel Louis with your statewide news Hello Michel. Hello Mary Lou. Good evening everyone. At the General Assembly House and Senate leaders have reached an agreement on a package of tax cuts they expect to pass the session for possible tax cuts have been on the table for consideration. The House has already

passed the 237 two hundred thirty seven million dollars state income tax cut promised in the Republican contract and the Senate has passed an intangibles tax cut amounting to one hundred twenty seven million dollars. The Senate had also proposed to cut corporate income taxes. And last week some House members proposed to cut the sales tax on food. Today Senate president marked bad night and House Speaker Harold Breaux Baker said the state can only afford to cut the income tax and the intangibles tax the session. Leaving other tax cuts for future years. Here you're looking at two hundred thirty seven million plus another hundred twenty six million that is going back into the pockets of the taxpayers of North Carolina and basically when you get back to the philosophical thought of who spends the money the best as a governor is the taxpayers. And putting all this money back in back into the pockets of North Carolinians is obviously Econ 101. It's a boom to the economy.

Senator Baucus night said that although removing the food tax is a popular idea he thinks most citizens would prefer an end come tax cut. And he said that cutting both would not be good public policy at this point. I don't believe the people in North Carolina want to remove 400 some million dollars out of the revenue source to take the food tax out today if they find out you're going to. And penalize the universities public aid and everything else that we fund in North Carolina and that's what you'll do. You will help cripple North Carolina if you take another 400 million dollars out of the flood from what we're taking today. Both bass night and group Baker indicated that the corporate income tax cut and the food tax cut will be considered during the next two sessions of the General Assembly. A 17 billion dollar package of spending cuts has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill passed today is the first part of a five year plan to cut spending and nearly every domestic program programs on the chopping block include heating for the elderly housing aid for low income citizens and repairs for

dilapidated school buildings. The House measure also scaled back funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Under the bill the allocation for CPB will be cut by 15 percent next year and 30 percent the following year. An amendment proposed by Republican Phil Crane to zero out all funding for CPB failed after heated debate. The bill now goes over to the Senate where it is expected to face additional amendments before final approval. A North Carolina CPB provides funding for you and see television statewide network and W TV in Charlotte along with 13 public radio stations. Senator Jesse Helms is proposing the merger of several major foreign affairs agencies. Helms who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says his merger plan will save 5 to 6 billion dollars in administrative costs over a five year period. The senator says his goal is to strengthen the secretary of state and to make sure a dollar spent on foreign policy are spent wisely efficiently and in support of our national interests. Helms this

proposal puts him at odds with the Clinton administration. Vice President Al Gore's national performance review decided last month that the amount of savings offered by the merger was not worth the trouble it would cause. Today it was beautiful and sunny across most of North Carolina highs were mostly in the 70s. Tonight will see clear to partly cloudy skies across the state with a chance of showers in the Asheville area. Lows will be in the 40s and 50s tomorrow skies will be partly sunny statewide. There is a chance of afternoon thunderstorms with the Piedmont and coastal areas. Highs will be in the 60s in the mountains and in the 70s everywhere else. The pharmaceutical industry has violated its pledge to keep drug costs in line with inflation. According to a national consumer health group the Families USA study says the drug industry raised prices of 20 best selling prescription drugs more than 50

percent than the rate of inflation during 1993 and 1994 prices increased in spite of a promise made in 1993 by 17 major drug companies to keep their prices in line with inflation. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association issued a statement calling the study an accurate and misleading. The stock market was breaking records again today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up nearly 31 points to close out a record high of forty sixty nine point fifteen gainers lead decliners two to one as a volume of three hundred thirty seven million shares were traded. The Standard Poor's 500 index was up three and a half points to close at a record high and the Nasdaq composite index was up nearly two points for a record high. And now for some stocks of North Carolina interest. Thanks we

hope you enjoyed our program tonight working on another good one for you tomorrow we'll review the work of our state lawmakers what they did this week. Plus we'll talk with a popular personality on U.N. CTV Roy Underhill of U.N. CTV a wood right shop. That's a program that's made possible thanks to your support in this is the time of year we're asking for your financial support to provide the necessary funding to bring you quality programming throughout the year. We want to hear from you so call the number on your screen for festival 95 and become part of the family here at U.N. see TV. Hope you have a great evening we'll see you back here tomorrow night. Good night. Thanks. Thank you.

Thank you.