Apr 11, 2006 7:49 am US/Eastern
Palm Beach Official Sues Over Oath Of Office
New Village Commissioner Says he Can't Support US Government
TEQUESTA (CBS4 News) ―
If you elect someone to represent you on your city government, should that person be required to take an oath of allegiance to the United States? Apparently, a new council member in the Palm Beach County town of Tequesta doesn't think so.
Seventy-six-year-old Basil Dalack, a newly elected Tequesta village council member, is suing Tequesta to have the oath of office declared unconstitutional because it supports the federal government, something he says he doesn't do. He also wants the words "and government" removed so the oath doesn't reflect that the government must be supported.
Dalack, who is a lawyer, says the oath violates the Constitution by placing a restraint on his right to free speech. Dalack says if he reads the oath, he would have quote -- "the blood of all those Iraqi and American kids on my hands."
He is scheduled to be sworn in Thursday, but he has told Village Manager Michael Couzzo Junior that he won't say the current version of the oath.
Village officials plan to meet today to discuss what happens next, but there seems to be little support for changing the oath.
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
