A North Dakota school board has banned the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance during its meetings after receiving complaints about the patriotic verse’s reference to God.
The “woke” Fargo School Board voted 7-2 to stop the Pledge of Allegiance from being recited before every meeting.
Local newspaper Inforum reported that a school board member nixed the Pledge of Allegiance because it didn’t align with the district’s values on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Some of the school board’s members argued that the words “under God” were not “inclusive” because they “exclude” many people.
“Given that the word ‘God’ in the text of the Pledge of Allegiance is capitalized, the text is clearly referring to the Judeo-Christian god,” Fargo School Board member Seth Holden said.
“Therefore, it does not include any other faith such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, all of which are practiced by our staff and students at FPS.”
Holden continued by claiming that saying the Pledge of Allegiance is a “non-inclusionary act.”
“The statement that we are ‘one nation under God,’ is the Judeo-Christian God… is simply an untrue statement,” Holden added.
“We are one nation under many or no gods.”
He also stated that it is an “indisputable fact” that “not all U.S. citizens have liberty and justice… therefore making the line ‘one nation with liberty and justice for all’ an untrue statement.”
School Board President Dr. Tracie Newman said, “I’m just not sure that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is a useful way to begin every one of our board meetings.
“I would much prefer that we open our meetings with a shared statement of purpose that would bring us all together to do the work of the board.”
Two other board members suggested that each meeting starts with reading one of the school district’s values.
Board member Robin Nelson argued that the Pledge of Allegiance should be recited at the meetings, and voted in favor of keeping it as part of the program.
Former Fargo School Board member David Paulson stated, “We are misinterpreting the Pledge of Allegiance.
“The pledge isn’t a show of our patriotism, it’s an affirmation of our commitment and our loyalty to the greater cause, and that greater cause is freedom.”
Four members of the community called for the Pledge of Allegiance to continue.
The Fargo School Board only passed the motion to recite the Pledge of Allegiance before every meeting on March 22.
The Fargo public school district will still allow students to continue reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
The district said in a statement:
The Board further believes that the salute to the flag and the daily pledge of allegiance and the words and music of the national anthem can help students learn these principles.
Therefore, the principal of each school and/or any teacher is allowed to provide a daily program for the voluntary salute to the flag and pledge of allegiance.
This policy recognizes that the beliefs of some students and teachers prohibit their participation in these patriotic exercises.
No person shall be required to salute, stand, or otherwise participate in this exercise if it is against his/her beliefs.
All persons, however, are expected to show respect to the flag and to the participation of others in the exercise.
