Red Skelton Warned Us: School Board Votes To Stop Reciting Pledge Of Allegiance

We previously reported that the late great comedian Red Skelton predicted back in 1969 that the Pledge of Allegiance would one day be at risk of being eliminated in schools because the left would deem it to be a prayer. Now, that prediction has sadly come true, as the board of education in Fargo, North Dakota has voted to stop saying the Pledge of Allegiance before meetings.

Skelton’s Prediction

But first, watch Skelton make his prediction over fifty years ago in the clip below.

Full Story: Red Skelton Predicted the Left’s Issue With the Pledge of Allegiance

Fox News reported that on Tuesday, the Fargo board of education voted 7-2 to stop saying the Pledge of Allegiance before meetings, which they had been doing since March of this year. Seth Holden, board vice president, had argued against saying the pledge because he felt it is against the philosophy of the district. 

Pledge Of Allegiance Is A ‘Non-Inclusionary Act’

“Given that the word ‘God’ in the text of the Pledge of Allegiance is capitalized… the text is clearly referring to the Judeo-Christian God, and therefore, it does not include any other faiths such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism,” Holden said, adding that he believes reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is a “non-inclusionary act.” 

Not stopping there, Holden proceeded to argue that starting meetings with such a “non-inclusionary act” goes against the school district’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity. He then went so far as to claim that the actual words that are said in the Pledge of Allegiance are “simply not true.” 

“The statement that we are ‘one nation under God,’ is the Judeo-Christian God… is simply an untrue statement. We are one nation under many or no gods,” he argued, saying that many different religions are practiced in the U.S. 

Holden claimed that it is an “indisputable fact” that “not all U.S. citizens have liberty and justice… therefore making the line ‘one nation with liberty and justice for all’ an untrue statement.” Though he alleged that he understands what the pledge means to many Americans, he made sure to add that “for many others, it’s a constant reminder of a lack of liberty… and a constant feeling of exclusion.” 

Related: Watch Mayor’s Reaction When People Say Pledge of Allegiance After He Bans It

Board Member Tries To Save Pledge

Board member Robin Nelson tried to argue that they should keep saying the Pledge of Allegiance, saying that the motion to stop doing so is nothing more than a “distraction” and encouraging her fellow board members to keep their focus on students.

Nyamal Dei, a board member who came to the U.S. at the age of 10, talked about how diverse the community of Fargo is.

“We live in a diverse community, and that is what matters,” she said. 

Dr. Tracie Newman, president of the board, said that given how “politically charged and divisive” the issue was, it may no longer be “useful” to say the Pledge of Allegiance before meetings. She then said that it would be more “unifying” to instead begin meetings with a shared statement of purpose. 

In the end, the board voted 7-2 to no longer say the Pledge of Allegiance before meetings. It should be noted that this thankfully will not have any impact on the pledge being said in Fargo schools. Watch the vote in the video below.

Skelton sadly saw all of this coming 53 years ago. Tragically, as the U.S. becomes increasingly “woke,” this will likely start happening more all over the country.