Loyalty Oaths! Are you Kidding?

Hey Y'all,

Recently at California State University Fullerton Wendy Govanor was fired because she refused to sign the loyalty oath defending the US Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic. Based on her Quaker beliefs she is an avowed pacifist so she altered the document to read I will defend the US Constitution Non Violently, and signed it. Human resources sent it back to her insisting that she sign an unaltered version. She refused! and was eventually fired. Miss Govanor stated on NPR/PRI radio last week on "Fresh Air" that she has altered the loyalty oath throughout her career and it has never been a problem or much of one because she refused based on religious principal.

In fairness to the State, they may be in the process of changing this policy but as of now, I don't know. So what I'm gonna do is print a leaflet from People for the United Way and post a link for a petition. These loyalty oaths seem to be relics of red scare/50's USA and need to be revised, rewritten or removed in total! Here is the leaflet and here is the link.

Wendy Gonaver (above) was fired by Cal State Fullerton because she wouldn't sign a "loyalty oath" without being able to add a note explaining that her religious views would prevent her from taking up arms.

Tell Cal State to stop violating freedom of religion and free speech!

Imagine losing your job because you took a principled stand. Wendy Gonaver was hired to teach two courses last fall at Cal State Fullerton but was fired because she refused to sign a "loyalty oath" without being able to add a note explaining that her religious views as a Quaker and pacifist would prevent her from taking up arms.
That's not the American Way.

Ms. Gonaver was perfectly willing to sign the oath to uphold the Constitution as long as she could clarify that she wasn't committing herself to military action and that she had free speech concerns with a compelled "loyalty oath."

People For the American Way Foundation has sent a letter to Cal State on Ms. Gonaver's behalf urging the school to change its policy and allow employees who have religious or other objections to signing the "loyalty oath" to append an explanation of their views that would then allow them to sign the oath. The University of California already has such a policy in place in order to protect its employees' religious freedom and free speech rights.

Please join us by signing a petition urging Cal State to adopt a policy that accommodates their employees' beliefs.

We've included our suggested new policy below.

Please help us make sure Cal State does the right thing now by standing up for Wendy Gonaver's constitutional rights.

-- People For the American Way Foundation
Text of state "loyalty oath:"
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter."
Suggested new policy statement for Cal State University:

CSU recognizes that some of our employees may have religious or other objections to taking this oath. It is our policy to accommodate the religious and other beliefs of our employees by allowing an employee to append an explanatory statement to the employee's signed oath.
You can read the entire text of People For the American Way Foundation's letter here: http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=grKSJ0OzE8LPIdI&s=msIUL6OJKdJNI4NVH&m=msISJYPFLdL0F
Petition link: http://www.kintera.org/site/apps/ka/ct/contactcustom.asp?c=feIJKQMEF&b=4119631

http://www.pfaw.org/go/CalStateOath.


Our Religious freedom is one of the guarantees in the Constitution, get involved!

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Jaycee