A city located in Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) 5th Congressional District voted this month to eliminate saying the Pledge of Allegiance during city council meetings because it doesn’t want to offend people.
CBS Minnesota reports that members of the St. Louis Park City Council voted unanimously in a 5 to 0 vote to ditch saying the Pledge of Allegiance “in order to create a more welcoming environment to a diverse community.”
City Council member Anne Mavity sponsored the change, saying that the Pledge of Allegiance did not reflect the city’s values, according to KARE 11.
“Not everyone who does business with the city or has a conversation is a citizen,” Mavity said. “They certainly don’t need to come into city council chambers and pledge their allegiance to our country in order to tell us what their input is about a sidewalk in front of their home.”
City Council member Tim Brausen said: “I hope it’s not too controversial. Our community tends to be a very welcoming and increasingly diverse community, and we believe our citizens will understand.”
The move sparked instant criticism from Minnesota Senate Republicans who tweeted: “SHOCKING: Democrats on the St. Louis Park, MN City Council voted unanimously to eliminate the pledge of allegiance at their meetings.”
Conservative talk show host Joe Pagliarulo tweeted: “Anti-American much? St Louis Park should no longer be allowed to claim it’s in the United States of America.”
Residents in the area told CBS Minnesota that the Pledge of Allegiance should not be removed from the meetings.
“I think it should be said every time, whether it is in school or meetings or whatever,” David Gohman told CBS Minnesota. “We owe it to the country.”
Earlier this year, Fox News reported that, according to FBI statistics, Omar’s district is the terrorist recruitment capitol of the United States.
Fox News reported that “more men and boys from a Somali American community in Minneapolis have — or attempted to join — a foreign terrorist organization over the last 12 years than any other jurisdiction in the country.”