In a recent social media post, the president of the Burrillville Town Council, Don Fox, targeted a member of the community who attended a town council meeting for not reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. “I find it despicable, and it shows what he thinks about our nation,” said Mr.Fox, and he then went on to speculate reasons he believed this person refrained from participating. Ironically, he said this while encouraging more people to attend town council meetings.
The Pledge of Allegiance has always been controversial in that some people interpret it as a statement for – or against – our country. As a middle school civics teacher for 30 years, I have taught my students that speaking out about government actions is a vital freedom in our society. They understand that it is their right to participate or refrain from participating in the Pledge each morning. And they most definitely know it is not a litmus test for patriotism to be weaponized in order to attack citizens with whom they do not agree. When a representative of the town government attacks freedom of speech, it threatens the freedom of us all.
We would be much better off having conversations, finding our similarities, and using them to bridge our differences than using the Pledge of Allegiance as a tool to attack those with whom we disagree. That’s real leadership.
Bruce Powers
Harrisville
The pledge embodies our official rejection of the 1st Amendment prohibition of an “official” government religion. How would folks feel if the pledge said “one nation under Allah?”
Remember when Michelle Obama said “It’s just a flag”….? Always divisive….
The Pledge of Allegiance is a weird thing that was not even formally “adopted” until the 1940s.
The founding principles of this country allow people to have the choice to recite the pledge. It’s disturbing for a public official to attack someone for exercising their constitutionally-given rights.
No one is singled out. I simply say, “Thank you to those who joined us in the Pledge”.
“He is disgruntled that he has to stand and he refuses to say the pledge.
Now, let me be clear, that is his right. He can refuse to say the pledge, but that does not mean that I have to like it each time he does it. I find it despicable and it shows what he thinks of our nation. “One Nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all” is the part that he probably does not like.” These are your words that were on the town Facebook page
There’s a lot of singular pronouns thay got used in there, sure sounds like someone’s trying to back track again.
Ehhhhhh….I agree about making your own decisions and all that jazz, but isn’t the pledge of allegiance more of a respect thing, like standing for the national anthem? I’m all for the first amendment and the freedoms we exercise, but I have to disagree with you on this one, that being said, I do agree a person should never be singled out for actions that another deems inappropriate to them, that’s unprofessional.
To be clear. Freedom of speech means you recite it or you don’t. It is an individual decision, and in no way shows disrespect to our country. “making your own decisions and all that jazz” is exactly what is free to do or not do. It doesn’t appear that you are for the first amendment at all.