A Wisconsin county supervisor believes that the Pledge of Allegiance should be withdrawn from county board meetings since it is “divisive.” In addition to her proposal to get rid of the Pledge of Allegiance, Wegleitner also wants the term “prayer” removed from board rules that are currently under review and being updated as part of a biannual redraft process.
The supervisors will get the last word on April 5, 2022, however, Wegleitner’s proposals will now be looked at by the executive committee of the Dane County Board to determine if they are best suited for them to eliminate the Pledge and phrase “prayer.”
“It just doesn’t feel like it’s appropriate for us to be doing when in a pluralistic society we want to be inclusive and representative,” Wegleitner said to Madison.com. “At the end of the day, I think it’s divisive.”
Wegleitner studied what government bodies in Wisconsin said the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of their meetings and discovered that the results were wildly inconsistent. Some organizations say the Pledge, while others choose not to for various reasons. Madison and Waunakee are two cities that do not recite the Pledge of Allegiance as part of their agenda. Fitchburg, Sun Prairie, and Verona are towns that include it.
Wegleitner is seeing a similar action taken by people who choose not to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, just like how athletes took a knee during the national anthem before games.
“There are other ways to show community and shared values,” Wegleitner stated.
Back in 1892, a socialist government minister named Francis Bellamy created the Pledge of Allegiance. Then-President Dwight Eisenhower persuaded Congress to add the words “under God” to the Pledge several decades later.
Although Wegleitner feels she is correct, Board Member Tim Rockwell enjoys having prayer at the start of each session, especially since nearly half of people in Dane County consider themselves religious.
“This is all in the same city that is home to the Freedom From Religion Foundation,” Rockwell stated. He desires religious variety “celebrated and not squashed.”
The spirit of the Pledge, according to Mr. Ford, represents how far a nation’s people will go for love of their country. He feels it has the potential to bring people from different backgrounds closer together in a shared affection for their nation.
“I don’t really see it as a divisive thing,” Rockwell said to Madison.com. “I think we can all benefit from someone taking a moment to be thankful for what we have and to look for guidance as we move forward on the decisions we make.”
What are your thoughts on the subject? Do you think that the Pledge of Allegiance should be removed from county board meetings, or do you believe it should be kept despite some people being uncomfortable with reciting it?