Brickbat: Land of the Free

Bladen County, North Carolina, Board of Elections Chairman Louella Thompson has rescinded a threat to have anyone who recites the "Pledge of Allegiance" at a board meeting arrested. At the January board meeting, some people in the audience were upset that the board does not say the pledge. During the public comments part of the meeting, one man led the crowd in reciting the pledge, and Thompson said she would have people arrested if they did that again. She repeated the threat days later when interviewed by media. But she came under fire, including from Gov. Roy Cooper, the man who appointed her to the board, and she later backed down.