SILVERTON, CO- Every once in a while, you come across a politician who acts more like a dictator than a leader. The current occupant of the White House comes to mind.

Then we also have the mayor of Silverton, Colorado, a soy boy named Shane Fuhrman, who last week tried to make a name for himself by banning the Pledge of Allegiance during board meetings because…he said so, according to Fox News.  

KDVR reported that Fuhrman, clearly a legend in his own mind came upon the decision after there were allegedly inappropriate comments “in and out of public meetings and general divisiveness and issues created in our community.”

“Due to direct and indirect threats, inappropriate comments in and out of public meetings, and the general divisiveness this is creating in our community, we will not be doing the Pledge of Allegiance during town of Silverton board of trustee meetings,” Fuhrman said as reported in The Durango Herald.

“And it’s removed from agendas and our protocols until such time that we can discuss this at a board retreat or workshop.”

In other words, Fuhrman wants to discuss the matter out of public view. Like a good Marxist.

Fuhrman’s mandate was not taken lightly by other members of the board.

“We already discussed this as a board, and any other unilateral decisions we need to know about?” trustee Molly Barela asked.

“If you’d like to find somewhere in the code, something that doesn’t permit me to do this, then I welcome that discussion at our next meetings,” was Fuhrman’s snarky reply.

Barela however continued to push back.

“It’s been done for a long time. We all took an oath, and we as a board decided it would be done,” she said.

In a statement to KDVR, Barela said:

Back in April 2020 when the newest board members were seated, the mayor brought it up that he didn’t want to do the Pledge of Allegiance anymore because it’s not really a thing, it was a 4/3 vote that we continue to do it. By going back to in person meetings it changes the dynamic compared to what was happening on zoom.

While on zoom the three individuals who chose not to say the Pledge of Allegiance would just turn off their cameras now that we’ve gone back to in person meetings members of the general population, especially those who are veterans have been questioning why would you run for office and take an oath to uphold the laws of the United States of America, the state of Colorado, and the town of Silverton if you won’t stand for the pledge.

Members of the public have told them that they should be ashamed of themselves. I personally didn’t like this unilateral decision when we as a collective group had already decided over a year ago to continue to do the pledge, I don’t know if it was premediated to have it done on Flag Day, which we all know that it was declared June 14, 1777, by the second continental Congress, now mayor Shane Fuhrman has made this first amendment right issue.

To tell members of the public they are not allowed to say the Pledge of Allegiance during public comment and threaten to have them removed that it was a one strike in (sic) you’re out policy violates every single one of their first amendment rights.”

The outlet said they reached out to Fuhrman for comment, but like the gutless, spineless coward he is he put his tail between his leg and didn’t respond. Fox News said they also reached out to Fuhrman who didn’t respond.

According to Newsmax, at a recent meeting approximately nine people, including two members of the board recited the pledge, at which point they were admonished by Fuhrman, who said they were out of order and would be forced to leave the meeting if there were any further “disruptions.”

Not surprisingly Fuhrman was eviscerated on Twitter.

Silverton, CO’s Mayor unilaterally banned the Pledge of Allegiance at city meetings.

It’s hard to put into words what kind of anti-American disgrace this is.

Mayor Fuhrman should resign and purchase a one-way ticket to China where he won’t have worry about hearing the pledge! pic.twitter.com/tjzU1cnOv0

— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) June 18, 2021

@shanefuhrman how does it feel to be humiliated nationally?

— Portnoy’s Intern (@portnoysintern) June 22, 2021

@shanefuhrman tried to cancel the pledge???? How about you go find a new country to live in scumbag!!

— John Francis🇺🇸🇮🇹 (@JohnnyLungo) June 22, 2021

@shanefuhrman you are an anti-America piece of dog crap. I’m glad no one in your district respects you and said the Pledge even with your weasely little voice trying to stop them. Go pound sand

— Ryan 🇺🇸 (@malony888) June 22, 2021

@shanefuhrman hey is this out of order?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all

Find another country bud

Law Enforcement Today reached out to Fuhrman for comment but has not yet heard back. 

A while back, we reported on the University of Oklahoma and how the student government banned the Pledge of Allegiance in the name of…wait for it…free speech. For more on that, we invite you to:

DIG DEEPER

Student government bans Pledge of Allegiance in the name of free speech

Yes. You read that headline correctly.

The student government at the University of Oklahoma just dropped a bombshell packed full of some serious irony.

In an effort to protect free speech… they’ve banned the Pledge of Allegiance. 

We know… it literally doesn’t make any sense, but let’s press on and see if we can get to the bottom of the root issue.

The school’s student government goes by the name “undergraduate student congress” and routinely meets throughout the semester to deal with issues regarding the student body.

But lately they’ve taken up a new battle – getting rid of the Pledge of Allegiance during school meetings, calling it “incompatible” with the United States Constitution. 

Crazily enough, the student who authored the resolution originally raised her concerns in an effort to make the group more inclusive.

“For us to be, like, the best most inclusive body, I thought that we should remove it,” said student Gabi Thompson.

They took a vote and the measure to ban the pledge during the student government meetings passed, 15 – 11. This is reportedly the first time that someone has taken issue with the pledge within the group since it was created in 2008.

So where do these students take issue? Apparently when it comes to God.

“The Pledge of Allegiance is incompatible with the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment as pledging your allegiance to the flag of the United States as one nation under God conflicts to our rights to free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, and to petition the government for redress of grievances,” the statement from the group’s resolution stated.

KFOR’s report argued that banning the pledge in its entirety stifles the First Amendment rights of those within the room that wish to recite the words, keeping them silent.

Students within the group who pushed to abolish the pledge said that the pledge’s connection to Christopher Columbus was wrong, noting that the town where the university is located no longer celebrates Columbus Day, but instead celebrates Indigenous People’s Day.

“It was written as a celebration of Columbus Day in 1892, and in the city of Norman we don’t celebrate Columbus Day, we celebrate Indigenous People’s Day,” said Thompson.

Other students who were in favor of keeping the pledge fired back against the resolution, calling it un-American.

“I think that’s just pretty much a load of crap,” said one student. “Not reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is un-American,” said another. 

A similar axing of the pledge happened earlier this year when the Santa Barbara City College Board of Trustees slashed the pledge from its meetings, calling it racist and in violation of the First Amendment. 

Not everyone was onboard with that decision either, with college professors firing back at the change.

“When you recite the Pledge of Allegiance you are recommitting your oath to uphold and defend our country’s Constitution,” said former Santa Barbara Community College professor Celeste Barber.

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