Athens City Council makes a decision on the Pledge of Allegiance before meetings
By: Charlie Ihlenfeld
Posted on:
ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – Four minutes before Athens City Council began its meeting Tuesday night, Ohio University College Republicans President Aiden Fox stood and called the assembled crowd to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
This was in response to a suggestion at last week’s meeting by Councilmember Alan Swank to open meetings with the pledge, which drew objections from several council members. Their objections went viral on social media.
Some council members had not yet arrived when Swank and Councilmember Paul Isherwood stood and recited the pledge with the crowd. It may not happen again.
After the meeting began, Swank made it clear to the other council members he did not plan to pursue reciting the Pledge of Allegiance among the other rule changes under consideration.
“There was generally consensus and support for two of the suggestions, and a general lack of support for the third,” Swank said. “So based on last Monday’s discussion and unless I hear a change in sentiment from my fellow council members, I moved that we abolish rule seven.”
Later in the meeting, people who had come to express their views on the pledge issue had a chance to speak.
John Wood, an Amesville resident and a city employee, lauded the council for respectful discussion on the matter.
“I’m not going to encourage you to say it or not say it,” Wood said. “But I did appreciate and I want to congratulate you for disagreeing about it in a civil way.”
Following Wood, several people took their turn at the podium to voice support for the pledge.
“Several members of our council called our pledge performative, said that they don’t feel comfortable saying it, saying they believe it entails a fealty swearing to the current administration,” Fox said. “And frankly, I came here to disagree with every single one of them.”
Athens resident Bryan McMillan lamented the controversy over reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
“I love this town. I love America. … I think nothing but good could come from it,” McMillan said about reciting the pledge.