In recent weeks, the Pledge of Allegiance became a significant topic of discussion among the Athens City Council.
The Council distinguishes itself from neighboring councils like Gallipolis, Marietta, Cambridge, Portsmouth, Zanesville, Lancaster and Circleville, as it is the only one that does not recite the pledge before its meetings.
In Athens, the school board and the Democratic Central Committee both recite the pledge at the start of their meetings. Additionally, the Ohio University College Republicans also include the pledge in their meetings, and several members were present at the Council meeting Jan. 20.
The Jan. 20 meeting drew considerable public attention for a spirited yet respectful discussion about reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before Council meetings. If the pledge is adopted for recitation before council meetings, participation is entirely voluntary. Only those who choose to stand and recite it do so.
Councilmembers are split on the matter. Councilmember Alan Swank, D-4th Ward, said he is in favor of reciting the pledge. Councilmembers Michael Wood, Jessica Thomas and Paul Isherwood shared their reasons for opposing saying the pledge before their meetings.
Wood, who is a Quaker, said reciting the pledge conflicts with his beliefs, particularly in light of the current administration. Thomas, who identifies as an atheist, voiced her objection to the inclusion of the phrase “under God.”
Isherwood said, as an immigrant, he is proud to be a U.S. citizen but thinks the pledge has an anti-immigrant history. Nonetheless, he stood and recited the pledge during the meetings.
Swank said his suggestion to propose reciting the pledge was not arbitrary but the result of extensive research and an understanding of practices in other cities.
“I said we should say the pledge as Council was talking about December and what we were going to be doing forward and starting to look at rule changes and things, and then my research and what other communities in the area do, and the fact that our school board does it, and the Democratic Central Committee does it, thought it was appropriate to add it to our agenda,” Swank said.
The discussion rapidly took a political turn, particularly with the involvement of Ohio Treasurer Candidate Jay Edwards. On Jan. 16, he shared a post on Facebook urging attendees to “Bring America to Athens” and invited people to join the meeting to recite the pledge. Following the event, Edwards utilized social media to share updates.
Edwards reiterated his opinions about Athens councilmembers on his official Facebook page for Treasurer candidates, stating, “If there was ever a question if these folks hate America, make no mistake about it.”
Aiden Fox, a senior studying political science and the president of the OU College Republicans, said he met with Edwards at the Jan. 20 meeting, where Edwards asked him to lead the demonstration.
“I get there, I shake his hand and then I was asked if I would lead the demonstration because he had another event that he was also scheduled to be at, so there was no collaboration in planning the event prior,” Fox said.
Fox also said he is not in favor of forcing anyone to say the pledge, but he thinks the choice an individual makes on the matter shows how they view the U.S.
Incorporating the Pledge of Allegiance into meeting proceedings is not a new idea, as Swank said, “years and years and years ago the pledge was a part of meetings.”
Swank also noted that among the seven nearby cities that recite the pledge before their meetings, four also include a prayer. Although Swank recognized a prayer might not be appropriate in Athens, he anticipated some resistance regarding the Pledge of Allegiance.
“I thought there might be a little bit of pushback, depending on how one views the Pledge of Allegiance,” Swank said. “To be honest, I was surprised at the amount of pushback.”
Although there is some resistance, Swank said the majority of discussions are respectful.
“The folks that came (to the Jan. 20 meeting), it was a large group, and they had very, I don't mean this in a negative way, but they have very strong feelings, but they comported themselves in a very civil manner,” Swank said. “To me it was an exercise in civic engagement that night.”
At the recent Feb. 2 Council meeting, the suggestion to include the Pledge of Allegiance on the agenda did not receive enough support for official adoption.
As a result, the pledge will not be recited before meetings in a formal capacity. Although some community members have chosen to recite it during the meetings, it remains unofficial.
