View
comments
Silverton Mayor Shane Fuhrman (pictured) banned the Pledge of Allegiance at public meetings over what he called 'direct threats'
The mayor of a small town in Colorado has banned his Board of Trustees and guests from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at public meetings because of what he called 'direct threats' in his community.
Shane Fuhrman, the mayor of the 550-person mountain town Silverton, made the announcement at a board meeting on June 14, which is Flag Day.
But the entire room of attendees, and two board members, stood up and recited the pledge anyway, to which Fuhrman responded by threatening to kick them all out of the meeting.
Fuhrman explained that he made the executive decision to ban the pledge 'due to direct and indirect threats and inappropriate comments in and out of public meetings and the general divisiveness of issues created in our community'.
Fuhrman did not elaborate on the nature of the threats or comments that prompted him to remove the pledge, which he added would be removed from agendas and protocols 'until such time that we could discuss this at a board retreat or workshop'.
Scroll down for video
Fuhrman made the announcement at a board meeting on June 14, which is Flag Day
Almost the entire room stood up at last week's meeting and recited the pledge anyway, before
