Council Member Faces Voter Backlash for Refusing to Recite Pledge of Allegiance

Story by Cat Barker

A voter, Cristo Ortiz-Palafox, reached out to Ward 1 incumbent Jenna Kearns regarding her decision not to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at city council meetings and found out the council member participates in quiet “reflection” instead.

Ortiz-Palafox asked Kearns a series of questions in an email to try and understand “the reasoning” behind Kearns’ decision to not say the Pledge out loud.

In response Kearns suggested the two of them meet in person or discuss the matter over the phone, but Ortiz-Palafox urged Kearns to answer via email in the spirit of “transparency.”

Kearns said, “I do participate in the pledge of allegiance by standing at attention, facing the flag, and honoring the gravity of that moment at the beginning of council meetings. While it is true I do not say the pledge out loud, as a substitute for those words … I take time to reflect on my gratitude for the opportunity to serve my community.”

“I strive to uphold the meaning behind the pledge, even though I do not recite the words out loud,” continued Kearns in an email to Ortiz-Palafox .

Ortiz-Palafox said, to him, the Pledge of Allegiance is more than a routine statement—”it is a solemn commitment to our country and the values that define us as Americans.” Ortiz-Palafox said the pledge represents the sacrifices made for our freedoms, and choosing not to recite it is, in his view, a rejection of that commitment.

In Kearns’ responses to a series of questions posed in an email sent by Ortiz-Palafox , she affirmed that she has no issue with the pledge, believes in liberty and justice for all, and even pledges allegiance to the United States.

” Yet, despite having no personal or religious objections, she refuses to recite the words of the pledge. This leads me to believe that her decision is not one of principle, but of political symbolism,” Ortiz-Palafox told Cities 92.9. “This is not about partisanship; it’s about honoring our nation. If the Pledge of Allegiance matters to you as it does to me, I encourage you [voters] to consider this when casting your vote for Ward 1. Our leaders should stand for—not just stand during—the traditions that unite us.”