A Colorado mayor received instant pushback after announcing a ban on the Pledge of Allegiance at a trustee meeting last week.
Silverton Mayor Shane Fuhrman announced during a meeting on June 14 that the Pledge of Allegiance would no longer be said at the start of every meeting because of the “general divisiveness” the pledge apparently created in the Silverton community.
“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,” Fuhrman said, according to Fox 31.
Immediately, Silverton Trustee Molly Barela spoke up challenging Fuhrman’s decision.
“If you’d like to find somewhere in the code, something that doesn’t permit me to do this, then I welcome that discussion at our next meetings,” the mayor responded.
Attendees at the meeting revolted against the mayor’s decision after one woman asked if she could “make a comment,” according to video of the meeting. The woman began to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, prompting others to join in and drown out several objections.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) tweeted out a clip of the meeting along with a call for Fuhrman to resign.
“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,” Boebert said. “Mayor Fuhrman should 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
After the meeting, Barela issued a statement to Fox 31 explaining that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance has been an issue with the mayor for over a year. Furhman first tried to have the pledge banned during meetings in April of last year, according to Barela. Barela said:
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.
Related: College Board Bans Pledge Of Allegiance At Meetings. Rob Lowe Smacks Them.