By Guy Page
The Springfield Planning Commission voted April 6 to no longer say the Pledge of Allegiance at future meetings.
The vote was 4-1 with only Beth Gray voting in opposition. The effort to ban the Pledge was led by Planning Commissioner Jules O’Guin, who read aloud a statement she had written for the occasion.
O’Guin concluded that the Pledge was written in 1892 to help celebrate Columbus Day, the beginning of European colonization of America.
“The colonization of the Americas lead to the beginning of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, resulting in the enslavement and deaths of millions of innocent people through slavery,” O’Guin said.
Concluding the lengthy statement [appendix at end of minutes], O’Guin wrote: “The Pledge was introduced as part of the commemoration of Columbus. It should not be disassociated from the atrocities that resulted and should not fill any American’s heart with pride. It was a ritual designed by a white majority with no regard to the pain it would cause minorities, because at the time it was written, minorities had no rights and were not included. This is the history of the Pledge of Allegiance.”
After reading the statement, “Jules expressed opposition to the practice of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at Planning Commission meetings,” the minutes of the meeting say. “Mike Schmitt made a motion to discontinue the practice of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at future Planning Commission meetings. Motion seconded by Susan Fog. Motion passed 5-1.”
According to the April 12 Springfield Reporter, Fog, a schoolteacher retiring after 30 years, said the pledge ‘caused distress for many students, especially those from other backgrounds.’
Gray is the wife of Randy Gray, a former Republican candidate for Windham County state senator.
Guy Page is publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle. Reprinted with permission.
Well finally leftists do something that is not hypocritical. Why pledge allegiance to something you intend to destroy?
I think they should play Red Skelton’s interpretation of The Pledge of Allegiance. Here is the link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYSw297IgBY
No rules, no law in this country. As a legal immigrant I had to pledge allegiance to America in my swearing in ceremony for US citizenship……….US citizens really don’t know how well they have it in this country. Sad that folks think it is their given right to change years of tradition just to justify their own biases.
Slave trading existed virtually around the world for over 3,000 years before Columbus yet it was America that was at the forefront of nations to eventually declare it illegal and immoral. One could truthfully make the case that without Columbus there would be no America and slavery would continue to this day and beyond.
So, to whom or to what, would those three pledge their allegiance to…other than themselves? How ignorant, shallow and ungrateful they have shown themselves to be! There will never, ever be room in my foxhole for the likes of them.
This is so pathetic. Obviously they have no idea of what the pledge really means and, regarding immigrants, recent or otherwise, they have to say the pledge when they become citizens so I truly doubt it causes pain to minorities unless they come from Mars. I’m surprised Springfield is becoming so woke.
I do not understand the current mentality. We live in a free nation, the most racially diverse nation in the world and there are those that refuse to acknowledge that heritage. The pledge simply recognizes/states that fact. In passing, keep in mind that MLK eloquently showed us that it is ‘Character’ not ‘Color’ that is the determing factor.
Vermont is a Communist state. America haters, led by Patrick Leahy, to begin with and then Bernie Sanders. Welch is just dumb. Recall Leahy the Traitor in Desert Storm. And be sure to thank these people for the flood of illegal aliens swarming the border. Just think, soon Vermont will be wondering what happened to their open space, their wildlife habitat, their farms…when all those illegal aliens need housing. A big development boom coming at the expense of agriculture and the environment. And not one Democrat complaining.
Maybe they will have us all pledge to the United nations and the new world order?
Tis there master, their master plan, their agenda, agenda 2030!
They are against their sworn duties, making them traitors.
You will “own nothing and be happy!” So sayeth the slave master.
Well of course it must be racist somehow.. and as for distress for the
young mush minds, perhaps they’d rather live in a commie country..they
can take the 3 planning members with them.