Charlie Breitrose
Watertown’s Town Councilors stand during the 2018 Inauguration at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. Pictured from left are Councilors Ken Woodland, Vincent Piccirilli, Tony Palomba, Angeline Kounelis, Lisa Feltner, Anthony Donato, Michael Dattoli, Caroline Bays and Council President Mark Sideris. Behind them stands Watertown Veterans Services Agent Mark Comeiro, who was emcee for the evening.
At the Watertown Inauguration on Tuesday, one of the newly elected Town Councilors stood out by kneeling during the Pledge of Allegiance.
Caroline Bays, who was elected to her first term as Councilor-At-Large in November, said she knelt in prayer during the Pledge. She then stood for the National Anthem.
Bays said she was kneeling in support of those who have had their freedoms curtailed.
“The Pledge of Allegiance states that we are a nation which stands for liberty and justice for all,” Bays said in a statement. “As long as U.S. citizen’s can’t freely move about our country without fear of harassment, of imprisonment, of death, simply because of the color of their skin – we are not honoring the principles the flag stands for.”
Bays said that while the Pledge includes the word “indivisible,” she believes the United States is more divided than it has been since the Civil War, and is concerned that Democrats and Republicans view each other as “enemies.” She hopes people from both sides can find ways to come together around the common things they want for their families and their communities.
“We must find a way towards unity again. I fear for our future as a nation if we can’t, which is why I knelt during the pledge,” Bays said. “I knelt in prayer, praying for us all, praying for our country, and praying for our flag.”
She added she does not take the flag lightly, and in fact is a distant relation to the the woman who is said to have designed the first American Flag
“Betsy Ross is my five times great-grandmother,” Bays said. “She lost two husbands fighting for our freedoms. She risked everything to fight for the liberty of others and she would expect me to do the same. I respect the flag, which is why I can not in good conscience say an oath to the flag when our country does not extend liberty and justice to all our citizens.”
Bays said she has not personally heard any comments about her kneeling in prayer during the Pledge of Allegiance, but has seen comments on Facebook.
“My only response to those is that I’m not from Cambridge – I’m from South Carolina!” Bays said.
indeed a powerful and teachable gesture
I’m all for freedom of speech and the right to protest, but there’s a time and place for it, and that ceremony wasn’t one of them. Bays needs to do the decent and honorable thing and apologize to the Town Council and residents of Watertown for her disrespectful, self serving, childish behavior.
Disagree completely Leon. For folks who say the kind of thing that you have said above, there is no time that is appropriate for protest. You always object. So you have a problem with kneeling in prayer?
Until all Americans share equally in the freedoms and benefits of the American experiment in democracy, I will support public figures who remind us of the fact that as great as our country is, the the work of fulfilling the Founders’ dream is still incomplete. I think that you might well ask yourself if it is not you who is being disrespectful, self serving and childish.
And if you say that you are for freedom of speech, why do you want to deny it to the Councilor? You don’t have to agree with her, but if statement is made sincerely and honestly, and is not disruptive, I don’t see why you can’t give it due respect.
It’s hard to imagine why there should be restricted times and places for peacefully honoring or exercising freedom of speech and/or the right to protest. Agree with Councilwoman Bays, or disagree with her, a volley of boorish name-calling is certainly a less than thoughtful response to her sincere and eloquently explained gesture. How do we get past the personal attack and address the concerns that prompted her action?
Ms. Bays was elected to Govern Watertown.. Not to abuse her position as Town Councilor to make her Radical Leftist Political Statements. She is free to protest on her own time and her own dime. When acting as Town Councilor, she is using our dime and or time.
No one in Watertown is being harassed, stopped brutalized, prevented from moving around without being stopped because of the color of her skin. Yet her act of disrespecting the flag is in essence a slap in the face to the wonderful women and men, some of which of color, who serve on the Watertown Police Force.
She talks about unity, yet she’s engaged in a most action. If she wants to address divisiveness, I have some suggestions for her … PROVIDED SHE DOES THEM ON HER TIME AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN.
Perhaps she should admonish the militants in Black Lives Matter, who violently riot in the streets, doing damage to people and property. The same people and their supporters boo and jeer, when someone says ALL LIVES MATTER ! If that’s not racist and divisive, nothing is ! If Ms. Bays wants to address divisiveness, then perhaps she can should condemn the likes of Madonna, who ranted about having dreams of blowing up the White House…. Perhaps she should condemn the Antifa movement that shut down shut down a peaceful Free Speech Rally in Boston and routinely attempts to shut down Free Speech by Conservatives on College Campuses.
Ms. Bays may come from South Carolina, but her politics belong in Cuba or North Korea.
Oh John, this is certainly one of your masterpieces of pointless and inane ranting. Or are you writing satire these days? It really is hard to tell.
The Councillor made a respectful gesture reminding folks what our country stands for and you accuse her of insulting the Police Force, being totalitarian, etc. etc. You denigrate Black Lives Matter and it is clear that you have no idea what you are talking about. John, when will you stop your shameless slandering of good people?
And by the way, it is monstrously dishonest to try and bill the August rally on the Common a “Free Speech Rally”, when it was really about far right wing ideology and bigotry. Just ask the 40,000 Boston area residents who showed up to tell the “free speechers” they weren’t welcome. And if you are so interested in Free Speech, why would you want to deny the Councillor her First Amendment right to make her thoughts.
I have no issue with someone doing peaceful/respectful protests. She did not disrupt anything and was praying. I don’t see this as a sign of disrespect, considering it is everyones right to stand or kneel or sit during this pledge. Our brothers and sisters fought and died so that everyone in US has the right to do so. I believe we should honor these rights, even if we agree or disagree with the sentiment.
Well, Watertown, you voted for that???
Got what you wanted! Outrageous!
Who honestly cares that she is a distant relative of Betsy Ross? Does that give her any credibility on the issue?
The Pledge of Allegiance should be a unifying moment, and she decided to be divisive.
Enjoy your one and only term as Councilor.. STAND UP for what you believe. The kneeling isn’t going over well.
2 things,
For those who might not know or who are confused about the reason for the knelling,
It is simply that when we honor the flag as the symbol of our nation, there are still people who are not represented because of hatred by other people who think that certain kinds of people are less deserving of basic rights than other kinds of people. Some people in this country are hateful to whites, some to blacks, some to Muslims etc.
It began as an act of solidarity to the blacks who have been so targeted historically for unfair treatment but in truth it represents all who have had the misfortune to have suffered the pain and suffering of injustice. It’s a symbol that represents even you Mr. DiMascio. If you weren’t so hateful you might recognize that it’s not a symbol of disrespect but rather of respect.
2 – I believe it’s not kneeling in prayer, it’s kneeling in respect. Similar but not the same.
Blessed be as some will say 🙂
Interesting how freely the word “abuse” is used . She was respectful and certainly was in the guidelines of the Constitution. Good for her!
Interesting how freely the words racist, hater, and xenophobe get thrown at you if you dare disagree with the off the rails progressive liberal doctrine.
DM, no one used those words except with regard to Mr. DiMascio who has worked very, very hard to gain that kind of reputation. And if the shoe fits. . .
I’m sorry but Caroline Bays did not use good judgement about where and how to protest. But I,m glad she knows how to pray.