FARGO, N.D. (AP) — The school board in North Dakota’s largest city will reconsider its decision to stop reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at each of its meetings, after the move drew widespread criticism and threats of retaliation from some conservative state lawmakers.
Fargo Board of Education President Dr. Tracie Newman told board members in a memo that she believes the pledge should be reinstated because the onslaught of “negative local and national feedback” could cost time and resources ahead of the new school year. She called a special meeting for Thursday.
The Fargo board voted 7-2 last week to nix a previous board edict from April to recite the pledge before each meeting. The board includes four newcomers from the June election. In deciding against reciting the pledge, the board said the move didn’t align with the district’s diversity and inclusion code, largely because it says “under God” in one phrase.
Robin Nelson, one of two board members to vote against dropping the pledge, said no one complained after the panel started reciting the patriotic vow. But since last week’s vote the board has received “hundreds and hundreds of local and national emails and phone calls,” she said. She has heard personally from state lawmakers who have threatened to get even.
“I knew it would be controversial. I knew the repercussions were quite predictable,” Nelson said.
Republican Gov. Doug Burgum on Monday proposed a bill meant to “guarantee that the opportunity exists to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, as other states have done.” State Rep. Pat Heinert, one of three Republicans working with Burgum, wants to require all local boards and commission to recite the pledge.
“It provides a good optic for civics in North Dakota,” said Heinert, a retired county sheriff. “We require people who come into our country to pass a civics test and that’s part of it. Elected government boards should be demonstrating that we believe in our own country. We believe in our Pledge of Allegiance.”
The foray into local politics by state Republicans has drawn criticism from Democrats. Rep. Josh Boschee, of Fargo, the House minority leader, called warnings to cut programs or funding “the worst form of politics” and said Burgum’s proposal is inappropriate and not needed.
“I have no reason to believe those threats are not real because I’ve heard threats like that in the halls of the legislature and in one-on-one conversations with my legislative colleagues,” Boschee said. He said boards that oversee schools, cities and counties constantly fear retaliation from the GOP-controlled Legislative Assembly “through the forms of public policy and funding threats.”
Another Fargo lawmaker, Republican Rep. Jim Kasper, said he’s happy the board is taking a second look.
“The makeup of the school board in the last election brought in five liberal-thinking members from what I recall,” Kasper said. “And so therefore, liberals have a different agenda than moderate or conservative people, whether they’re Democrat or Republican.”
School board and City Council members in Fargo run on a nonpartisan ballot, which does not reveal party affiliation.
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Who comes up with these truly insulting, Anti-American Woke ideas. North Dakota is a hop-skip and a jump away from Canada, maybe the board members should cross over to the newly Woke Canada…like some of the draft dodgers did during Vietnam. Shame on them.
AMEN!!!!
AMEN!!!!
IF THEY All dislike the pledge so damn much, WE SHOULD STRIP them of their citizenship, and Expel them, say to CHINA!
” In deciding against reciting the pledge, the board said the move didn’t align with the district’s diversity and inclusion code, largely because it says “under God” in one phrase.”
Well then the Woke school board in North Dakota should not accept any money from the tax payers, because our U.S. currency has
“In God We Trust” stamped or printed on it.
ONE WONDERS, how in such a KNOWN Republican stronghold as ND is, SUCH LEFTISTS got onto the school board in the first bloody place!
“the board said the move didn’t align with the district’s diversity and inclusion code, largely because it says “under God” in one phrase.”,,,,well if who and what you turn to in time of crisis, defines who and what your worship, seculars who worship an the tabernacle of the government diety from whom all blessings must flow,,,or ELSE, should have no problem with they or their kids saying one nation under GOD under their god government, whom the children of the lessor god do in fact worship.
It gets mighty cold in the winter up in North Dakota, so just let the secular single mom liberals and socialist government loving teachers keep warm and toasty by hugging their government politicians, laws and edicts, while two parent families who pray together and stay together have warm hearts and warm bodies to cling to when the cold sets in, like a cold hearted democrat on a mission to steal the next election. Those who cling to their diversity, usually end up living in the worst city,,,,, when government is who and what they turn to when life gets cold.
“Under God” violated their diversity and inclusion agenda? Inclusion excludes God? What kind of thinking is that and why are these clowns empaneled in governance?
I have NEVER voted for a listed candidate for the school board (and several other offices) and NEVER will. I vote for Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, Darth Vader. You get the idea. I’m sure any one of these could be a better job than the current clowns.
I wouldn’t vote for ANY DISNEY character. BUT i’d rather vote for Mr Magoo, than a dem.
Sorry but disneyland has gone woke too.so it would be like puttomg out a fire with gas.
Any school that drops the pledge of allegiance should lose federal funding
I used to serve on a local GOP committee. One of the elder members used to routinely pester me about running for school board. I declined – had zero interest in playing footsie with the Commies that ran for the board as Dems. Union loving, taxpayer hating Anti-American slugs! Their constant refrain was “we’re doing this for the children”. Made you sick to hear after a while. Even back then (late 2000s), parents were questioning the questionable reading material being sent home with the middle and high school kids. Can’t begin to imagine how bad that is now! The Dems wound up taking over the board, and property taxes in that place are now sky high.
Minneapolis school board wants to fire all white teachers through attrition. Why do the people of North Dakota want to be like the people of Minnesota?
The North Dakota school board needs to be kicked out of the country.
All of them!!!