NJ teens sue over 'God Bless America' ejection

[Principessa]

NJ teens sue over 'God Bless America' ejection

Three teenagers who say they were tossed from a New Jersey ballpark over their refusal to stand during the song "God Bless America" are suing the minor league Newark Bears.The boys argue that their constitutional rights were violated when they were asked to leave Newark's Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium on June 29 by Bears' president and co-owner Thomas Cetnar.

Cetnar acknowledged the boys were asked to leave but declined to say why. He also has denied making some statements attributed to him in the lawsuit. The boys — Millburn High seniors Bryce Gadye and Nilkumar Patel, both 17, and junior Shaan Mohammad Khan, 16 — sued in federal court on Friday seeking unspecified damages.

According to the lawsuit, the boys were seated behind home plate when the song began playing. Once it ended, they say Cetnar approached them yelling. "Nobody sits during the singing of 'God Bless America' in my stadium," the lawsuit quotes Cetnar as saying. "Now the get the (expletive) out of here." Cetnar denied saying that: "Never, never did that ever happen." Cetnar said he hasn't seen the lawsuit, but called the boys' account "a huge fabrication."
The boys are being represented by Bryce Gadye's father, Ross, who said the boys weren't protesting the song and no one asked them to stand.

Just because a song has God in it, now we all have to stand? :no: Here's the thing,'God Bless America' is not the national anthem. You stand for the national anthem. I don't think I noticed anyone standing for 'God Bless America' until after 9/11. I always stand and sing the national anthem proudly when I hear it at a ball game. Not sure I would do the same with God Bless America. :redface:

If those are the rules in that one stadium then he needs to have it printed on signs outside the stadium and put it on flyers that everyone receives upon entry.

That said, other than a refund of their ticket money I see no reason for a large law suit. Minor league teams are notoriously poor anyway. It's not like they would get anything.

 

[JustAsking]

NJ teens sue over 'God Bless America' ejection

Just because a song has God in it, now we all have to stand? :no: Here's the thing,'God Bless America' is not the national anthem. You stand for the national anthem. I don't think I noticed anyone standing for 'God Bless America' until after 9/11. I always stand and sing the national anthem proudly when I hear it at a ball game. Not sure I would do the same with God Bless America. :redface:

If those are the rules in that one stadium then he needs to have it printed on signs outside the stadium and put it on flyers that everyone receives upon entry.

That said, other than a refund of their ticket money I see no reason for a large law suit. Minor league teams are notoriously poor anyway. It's not like they would get anything.

* Sorry, multiple posts. *

 

[JustAsking]

NJ teens sue over 'God Bless America' ejection

Just because a song has God in it, now we all have to stand? :no: Here's the thing,'God Bless America' is not the national anthem. You stand for the national anthem. I don't think I noticed anyone standing for 'God Bless America' until after 9/11. I always stand and sing the national anthem proudly when I hear it at a ball game. Not sure I would do the same with God Bless America. :redface:

If those are the rules in that one stadium then he needs to have it printed on signs outside the stadium and put it on flyers that everyone receives upon entry.

That said, other than a refund of their ticket money I see no reason for a large law suit. Minor league teams are notoriously poor anyway. It's not like they would get anything.

I see this like I see flag-burning. There is something uniquely American about flag-burning, if it is a celebration of freedom over nationalism. Flag burning is a celebration of a Constiution that protects such things as flag burning.

The excessive nationalism that seeks to compromise the freedom of expression of an individual in the name of nationalism is very unAmerican. Such things deserve large lawsuits because they are very dangerous.

Naturally, the ball park can have any rules it wants in that regard, since it is a private business. But that doesn't make it any less disturbing as a demonstration of excessive nationalism.

 

[D_Fowlmouth Chickenchoker]

I smell a bait law suit here from angry muslims.

 

[pornographicpoet]

I think they should sue the owner of the team for all he's worth....ridiculous to dictate what someone must do in a free country...

 

[D_Andreas Sukov]

its rediculous. i would say that your not even required to stand during the national anthem. i do, but i wouldnt hate someone for not doing it. ill assume that they are muslim, well atleast two, so why should they sing about a christain god? its like the polar opposite to politically correct Britain.

 

[YoungHungMachine]

As much as I disagree with the boys' actions. Im current in Philosophy, and I plan on going into law. The boys have every right to sue (if the story is in fact accurate). The man probably could have avoided the lawsuit by refunding their tickets, and inviting them to another game (I beleive).

 

[Bbucko]

I smell a bait law suit here from angry muslims.

its rediculous. i would say that your not even required to stand during the national anthem. i do, but i wouldnt hate someone for not doing it. ill assume that they are muslim, well atleast two, so why should they sing about a christain god? its like the polar opposite to politically correct Britain.

Allah is the God of Abraham. There is no "Muslim" god separate from that of Christians or Jews.

No one says that the Spanish worship "Dios" and not "God": give it a rest, please.

 

[dolfette]

ha! nobody gives a shit if you stand or not in the uk.

 

[464680]

that is just fucked up right there

 

[2322]

The NY Yankees were sued for the same thing when a man went to use the toilet during God Bless America which, it must be pointed out, isn't even the national anthem. The kids are right. Unless this guy built the stadium as a private venue without an iota of public funds or tax accommodations, then he might have a leg to stand on. Otherwise he's fucked and even more so if it's a public stadium he leases. Even then, New Jersey does have anti discrimination laws which make it next to impossible for an operator to eject anyone unless it's for the health and safety of other patrons. He'd be wise to settle just like the Yankees did. I'd hate to be this guy's lawyer about now.

But that's Jersey for you! One part devastatingly liberal, and the other arch-conservative. It's a bizarre state in many ways, not unlike New York in that half the state has nothing to do with the other half.

 

[SomeGuyOverThere]

When i lived in the USA, i remember having to argue bitterly with my teacher at school - I refused to stand or say the Pledge of Allegiance.

As a British Subject, I'm not going to pledge my allegiance to anything but Queen and Country, and even then, I'm not guaranteeing that

This seems to be something quite post-Imperial: America, we used to run the world, remember? We lost it. Your time too, shall pass, as did every empire in History. And then you'll realise something - patriotism is a crock of shit.

 

[Meniscus]

Allah is the God of Abraham. There is no "Muslim" god separate from that of Christians or Jews.

Technically correct, Bbucko, but the Muslim conceptions of Allah and his nature is quite different from Christian conceptions of God. An obvious example is that Muslims (and Jews) reject the notion that God is a Trinity. Because of the concept of Trinity, many Muslims and Jews do not regard Christians as truly monotheistic. (Perhaps it should be noted, however, that Irving Berlin, who wrote the song, was Jewish.)

But the issue these boys had may not have been with the reference to God in the song, but to the implication that God favors American over other nations and that Americans are God's chosen people. Even many Christians are uncomfortable with the mixing of faith and patriotism.

 

[2322]

When i lived in the USA, i remember having to argue bitterly with my teacher at school - I refused to stand or say the Pledge of Allegiance.

As a British Subject, I'm not going to pledge my allegiance to anything but Queen and Country, and even then, I'm not guaranteeing that

This seems to be something quite post-Imperial: America, we used to run the world, remember? We lost it. Your time too, shall pass, as did every empire in History. And then you'll realise something - patriotism is a crock of shit.

Good on you!

I had apompous ass of an English teacher in boarding school who used to mark down papers written in British english by british students. What a teat he was!

It's not just us though. I see loads of flag waving and similar sorts of spats over Jerusalem. I recall a story not long ago where an English couple wanted it in their wedding and the CoE priest refused on the grounds the occasion wasn't high enough. I love the hymn but it's in the same vein as God Bless America, let's face it.

 

[JustAsking]

...But the issue these boys had may not have been with the reference to God in the song, but to the implication that God favors American over other nations and that Americans are God's chosen people. Even many Christians are uncomfortable with the mixing of faith and patriotism.

If anyone actually read the Bible, they would know that the God known to us through Jesus would be much more inclined to be favoring Haiti or some place like that.

 

[dolfette]

When i lived in the USA, i remember having to argue bitterly with my teacher at school - I refused to stand or say the Pledge of Allegiance.

that's actually quite scary.

 

[Principessa]

that's actually quite scary.

Why is that scary? His parents should have looked into this and made arrangements before his first day of school. I had a Jehovah Witness in my homeroom one year and while they did not say the Pledge of Allegiance they did stand quietly. I think that standing is a simple sign of respect, but not compliance to the pledge.

I would have no problem standing for God Save the Queen if traveling in England; but I wouldn't be singing along. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

 

[dolfette]

Why is that scary? His parents should have looked into this and made arrangements before his first day of school. I had a Jehovah Witness in my homeroom one year and while they did not say the Pledge of Allegiance they did stand quietly. I think that standing is a simple sign of respect, but not compliance to the pledge.

I would have no problem standing for God Save the Queen if traveling in England; but I wouldn't be singing along. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

the pledge in schools is quite a scary concept to me.
and he wasn't an american jehovah's witness. he was a foreign national.
and he said ''stand or say'', so the inference is that he was expected to say it too.
a parent should not have to arrange for their child not to swear allegiance to a foreign state, or even their own state. that bullying is something you'd expect more in mugabe's zimbabwe than in the land of the free...and it would never even occur to brit parents until she child came home and told them, because we have nothing like that in our culture.

schools are for education.

and nobody would care if you stood and sang or not. nobody would care if i did either. it's a personal choice.

 

[Principessa]

the pledge in schools is quite a scary concept to me.
and he wasn't an american jehovah's witness. he was a foreign national.
and he said ''stand or say'', so the inference is that he was expected to say it too.
a parent should not have to arrange for their child not to swear allegiance to a foreign state, or even their own state. that bullying is something you'd expect more in mugabe's zimbabwe than in the land of the free...and it would never even occur to brit parents until she child came home and told them, because we have nothing like that in our culture.

schools are for education.

and nobody would care if you stood and sang or not. nobody would care if i did either. it's a personal choice.

Oh for pitys sake, it's not bullying. :irked: It's been that way for centuries. We didn't make up the rule to offend him or anybody else. The fact you don't do it in the UK or have never heard of such a thing does not make us as barbaric as Zimbabwe.

 

[dolfette]

Oh for pitys sake, it's not bullying. :irked: It's been that way for centuries. the fact you don't do it in the UK or have never heard of such a thing does not make us as barbaric as Zimbabwe.

it IS bullying if you're picking on kids for not doing it.

i know it's always been that way but it's still fricking weird from an outsiders point of view. it feels sinister to me, but that's just my opinion.