Why Won’t Agudelo Say The Pledge of Allegiance?

By Dan Murphy

Dateline-May 11-Yonkers NY:

Last November, the blue tidal wave of Democratic support swept throughout Westchester County and extended into the City of Peekskill, where a Democratic mayor and three Democratic councilmembers were elected. One of them was Vanessa Agudelo, who ran on a ticket with Mayor Andre Rainey and Councilmembers Ramon Fernandez and Colin Smith. Last year, then-council candidate Agudelo, and the entire Democratic ticket, was endorsed by County Executive George Latimer, Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, and other Democrats.

At her inauguration Jan. 1, Agudelo, like every other elected official in Peekskill and Westchester County, recited the Pledge of Allegiance. But at a City Council meeting April 23, Agudelo refused to recite the pledge, but remained standing while it was recited by the rest of those in attendance.

The incident has caused a firestorm, not only in Peekskill but across Westchester County, with veterans’ groups and traditional voters demanding an explanation of why Agudelo won’t say the pledge, but how she was elected to represent the xxxxxxx residents of Peekskill.

Agudelo initially refused to explain her decision not to say the Pledge of Allegiance, stating: “I won’t come back with a public statement on why I won’t say the pledge and what’s it’s for. I do have my right. I did say the Pledge of Allegiance when I was inaugurated out of respect for the ritual; that plays into the patriotism of the country.”

But that statement didn’t calm the outcry against her actions, so she attempted to explain her position with another statement that read: “My reason for respectfully refraining from saying the Pledge of Allegiance is not because I don’t respect the values this country stands for, it is because of our country’s failure to truly uphold them I. I have the utmost respect for our service women and men, both overseas and in the states, and I have a deep appreciation for all the sacrifices they have had to make. I do not think our country does enough to address the many challenges our veterans face after coming home from war, nor is our country transparent enough about the hundreds, even thousands of lives lost fighting wars that most Americans do not or have not agreed with.

“There is also this level of unquestionable loyalty and mindless conformity in reciting the pledge on such a consistent basis that makes me personally feel uncomfortable,” she continued. “Many people do not know that our pledge was originally written by a Socialist in 1892, that there have been several versions of our pledge since its creation, or that the ‘under God’ was not added until almost a century after, used as a political ploy during the Cold War. Most countries in Europe don’t even have a pledge of allegiance or have discontinued its use. This speaks volumes.”

Agudelo added that she was “a proud member of the Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists of America and a proud environmentalist.”

Agudelo’s second statement appears to have only raised more questions about her political affiliations and enraged others who take exception to her characterization of those who recite the pledge as “mindless conformists.” Former Peekskill Mayor Frank Catalina, who lost last November, criticized Agudelo on Facebook, writing: “Let me get this straight: An elected official cowardly stands while the pledge is said but refuses to actually say the pledge or even respectfully hold her hand over her heart; too young and immature to realize the significance of that pledge and showing respect for the millions who fought and died for her ‘right’ to be a moron and a poor example of a public official.

“Next time, and all the time, she should muster the backbone to fully exercise her ‘right’ by not standing, but to show her real ‘courage,’ petulance and ignorance, by sitting or taking a knee during the pledge rather than meekly posing,” he continued. “Let’s see if this coward shows that courage (or even shows up) at the solemn Memorial Day ceremony next month! I predict this extremist will retreat, hide her radicalism, and lack the real courage of her misguided convictions by ‘playing along’ with ‘rituals’ from now on.”

Another Peekskill resident, Leesther Brown, confronted Agudelo at the council meeting last month, saying: “If you don’t want to take the pledge, you need to step down. Her personal belief has nothing to do with it when she’s sitting up at the dais. You have no right when you represent the City of Peekskill.”

Mayor Andre Rainey defended Agudelo’s “personal right” not to say the Pledge of Allegiance. “To attack somebody’s beliefs, to me, is belittling them and is just disrespectful and unethical,” he said at the end of last week’s meeting. “Peekskill, N.Y., is a place where we appreciate the freedom to express yourself, the freedom to pursue life, liberty and freedom.”

We agree with Mayor Rainey that Councilwoman Agudelo has the right not to say the Pledge of Allegiance. It is clearly within her rights as a citizen, and an elected official, not to say the pledge or sing Our National Anthem or stand for a moment of silence or prayer.

But the people of Peekskill also have the right to examine her actions, and her explanations. One of the many Peekskill websites debating the Agudelo-Pledge-Gate, Peekskill People Unplugged, has asked the following questions, which we believe are legitimate:

1. Did the Peekskill Democratic City Committee know that Ms. Agudelo was a “proud” member of the Democratic Socialists of America and had reservations about the Pledge of Allegiance when it nominated her for Common Council?
2. If so, why did the Peekskill Democrats nominate a candidate of such controversy when other less controversial Democrats such as Mike Kane and Eileen Sullivan Warmbrand had expressed an interest in running for Common Council?
3. More importantly, why didn’t the Peekskill Democrats disclose Ms. Agudelo’s political affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America before the election?
4. If the Peekskill Democratic Party did not know about Ms. Agudelo’s controversial positions and/or political affiliations, will it demand her resignation, as she might not have been truthful and upfront with them during the nomination process?
5. Or, will the Peekskill Democrats continue to defend Ms. Agudelo and accept her as a viable member of the Common Council and through such defense imply they have accepted or adopted portions of the Democratic Socialists Party’s platform, of which Ms. Agudelo is proud to be a member?
6. If the Peekskill Democrats have in fact found common ground with the Democratic Socialists of America, could they please disclose what portions or planks of the Democratic Socialists Party’s platform they have adopted? Unfortunately, the Hudson Valley Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is a closed Facebook group and its opinions and views are not visible to the public.