Shane Fuhrman, Silverton mayor (Colorado), announced at a June 14 meeting the Pledge of Allegiance would not be said at the beginning of every meeting due to the “general divisiveness” the pledge has created in the community.
According to local Fox 31, Fuhrman said the following:
“Due to direct and indirect threats, inappropriate comments in and out of public meetings and general divisiveness and issues created in our community, we will not be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance during Town of Silverton trustee meetings.”
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert shared some video of the meeting on Twitter. She also called for Fuhrman to resign and “purchase a one-way ticket to China where he won’t have worry about hearing the pledge!”
Silverton, CO’s Mayor unilaterally banned the Pledge of Allegiance at city meetings.
It’s hard to put into words what kind of anti-American disgrace this is.
Mayor Fuhrman should resign and purchase a one-way ticket to China where he won’t have worry about hearing the pledge! pic.twitter.com/tjzU1cnOv0
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) June 18, 2021
Public attendees of the meeting recited the pledge anyway after one individual asked if she could make a comment. After she started to recite the Pledge, others joined in and drowned out objections.
Trustee member Molly Barela challenged the mayor’s decision. After the meeting, she issued a statement to Fox 31:
Back in April 2020 when the newest board members were seated the mayor brought it up that he didn’t want to do the Pledge of Allegiance anymore because it’s not really a thing, it was a 4/3 vote that we continue to do it. By going back to in-person meetings it changes the dynamic compared to what was happening on zoom. While on zoom the three individuals who chose not to say the Pledge of Allegiance would just turn off their cameras now that we’ve gone back to in-person meetings members of the general population especially those who are veterans have been questioning why would you run for office and take an oath to uphold the laws of the United States of America the state of Colorado and the town of Silverton if you won’t stand for the pledge. Members of the public have told them that they should be ashamed of themselves. I personally didn’t like his unilateral decision, when we as a collective group had already decided over a year ago to continue to do the pledge, I don’t know if it was premeditated to have it done on Flag Day, which we all know that was declared June 14, 1777, by the second continental Congress, now mayor Shane Fuhrman has made this first amendment right issue. To tell members of the public they are not allowed to say the Pledge of Allegiance during public comment and threaten to have them removed that it was a one strike in you’re out policy violates every single one of their first amendment rights.
