{"id":100288,"date":"2018-04-19T17:00:44","date_gmt":"2018-04-19T23:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/silverton-resident-takes-town-trustee-to-task-over-pledge-of-allegiance\/"},"modified":"2018-04-19T17:00:44","modified_gmt":"2018-04-19T23:00:44","slug":"silverton-resident-takes-town-trustee-to-task-over-pledge-of-allegiance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/silverton-resident-takes-town-trustee-to-task-over-pledge-of-allegiance\/","title":{"rendered":"Silverton resident takes town trustee to task over Pledge of Allegiance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"A
A frame grab from a video of the Silverton Town Board meeting on April 9 shows resident Ron Renowden at the lectern during the public comment period, when he chastised a board trustee for not standing during the Pledge of Allegiance.<\/span>Town of Silverton<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

A Silverton resident will not face repercussions but came dangerously close to charges of harassment and menacing after verbally attacking a Silverton town trustee last week for not standing during the Pledge of Allegiance.<\/p>\n

Ron Renowden spoke during the public comment period at the Town Board meeting April 9 to direct personal attacks on outgoing Trustee Malcolm MacDougall after he did not stand during the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of meeting.<\/p>\n

After not doing so for a year, Mayor Christine Tookey said the Town Board started reciting the pledge at the beginning of its meetings a few months ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had people that had talked about it in the community, and they just brought it forth,\u201d Tookey said. \u201cWe made a decision we were going to start doing it, so we did.\u201d<\/p>\n

MacDougall, however, chose to sit during the pledge. Calls to MacDougall for comment for this story were not returned.<\/p>\n

The April 9 meeting was MacDougall\u2019s last as a trustee after he chose not to run in the most recent election this year.<\/p>\n

Renowden, who has lived in Silverton about 10 years, disagrees with MacDougall\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

Renowden told The Durango Herald on Tuesday that he had attended three or four Town Board meetings and was angered that McDougall was not standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Renowden is a veteran, having served four years in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just furious that he was so disrespectful,\u201d Renowden said. \u201cIt really bothered me.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the meeting, Renowden began: \u201cI understand you don\u2019t believe in God and will have to deal with that. That\u2019s the worst man to mess with.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here to address you not standing up for the Pledge of Allegiance. It infuriates the hell out of me that you don\u2019t have the courage or the consideration to stand when we do the Pledge of Allegiance and put your hand over your heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor you to show such disrespect,\u201d he continued. \u201cIf you don\u2019t want to stand for the flag, you should leave this country. It\u2019s a shame. Your father was in the military in Vietnam. You should be ashamed of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

MacDougall tried to interject. But Renowden continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a smart ass, and everyone in this town knows it,\u201d Renowden said. \u201cAnd you better hope that one of these days, if it wasn\u2019t to go to jail, somebody\u2019s going to kick your butt up and down Greene Street.\u201d<\/p>\n

At this point, MacDougall said Renowden was making threats to his personal safety. Tookey broke up the exchange and Renowden left the podium.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re full of crap. You\u2019re a disgusting human,\u201d Renowden said as he walked away.<\/p>\n

<\/p>

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TRAVEL ALERT: Motorists must plan for delays and POSSIBLE CLOSURE tomorrow (1\/27) for eastbound I-70 between Rifle & Glenwood Springs due to a vehicle recovery. Major impacts will be 9 am into the evening. Overwidth traffic MUST use an alternate route. #I70<\/a> #Colorado<\/a> #CDOT<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/87IYZeHeZK<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 CDOT (@ColoradoDOT) January 26, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n