City councilor Pejril leads pledge for start of DNC

Thursday, August 20, 2020

City Councilor Veronica Pejril leads the Democratic National Convention virtually in the Pledge of Allegiance from in front of Dunbar Bridge in Greencastle.

Courtesy photo

Greencastle resident Veronica Pejril, a delegate to the Democratic National Convention this week, led the Pledge of Allegiance that kicked off Tuesday evening’s session.

Pejril, who is DePauw University’s director of faculty instructional technology support and coordinator of the Music Instructional Technology Center, serves as Greencastle’s Third Ward city councilor.

She can be seen saying “I pledge allegiance” at 16:29, the beginning of TV airtime, on the YouTube video.

“Four seconds of fame, if you will,” she said.

"I was very pleasantly surprised to see the footage used, and I'm delighted that our community and our covered bridge could be the opening shot for Tuesday's televised event."

Pejril was the first transgender elected official ever in the state of Indiana when she won election to City Council last November.

The convention was scheduled to be held in Milwaukee, but instead is being held remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delegates were asked to submit video recordings of themselves reciting the pledge, and Pejril recorded hers in front of the Dunbar Bridge in Greencastle.

Comments

View 20 comments

Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

Well done, Veronica!

-- Posted by joebuser on Thu, Aug 20, 2020, at 9:43 PM
It is great to see

-- Posted by Adam Cohen on Thu, Aug 20, 2020, at 9:47 PM
Awesome job Veronica!

-- Posted by BJCP96 on Thu, Aug 20, 2020, at 10:27 PM
Yay!!!

And what do Democrats do to the pledge?

I recited it today at a meeting. Everything there. And it was in a group of Repubs and Dems. Everyone said it the exact same way.

Now tell me- how do Dems say it?

Don Antonio?

-- Posted by GladysK on Fri, Aug 21, 2020, at 1:02 AM
When I heard it on the radio they left out, "under God".

-- Posted by donantonio on Fri, Aug 21, 2020, at 7:19 AM
Don Antonio,

Did you know “under God” was added in 1954 due to the “Red Scare” to force Americans (which has no national Religion) to differentiate between “good people” and Communist Atheism.

Interesting addition for a county that touts freedom of and FROM Religion.

While I am Christian, it bothers me that we expect others who are not Christian to “fall in line”. That’s pretty Un-American.

-- Posted by GladysK on Fri, Aug 21, 2020, at 8:16 AM
Extremely well said GladysK. What a concept. Acceptance and Tolerance.

-- Posted by RSOTS on Fri, Aug 21, 2020, at 9:03 AM
FROM religion?

-- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Fri, Aug 21, 2020, at 4:26 PM
Yes - we don’t have to worship at all. No one can force you to pray/follow. That’s what’s great about America! Free to be you and me!

-- Posted by GladysK on Fri, Aug 21, 2020, at 7:04 PM
So is the opposite true- no one can force you to not pray/ not follow? Tolerance and acceptance, correct?

In the end, not sure tolerance and acceptance is the goal. If it is, then we would tolerate all, not just those that agree with us.

-- Posted by beg on Fri, Aug 21, 2020, at 11:32 PM
GladysK--if you are so tolerant then why does it bother you to include "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance?

Christianity and Salvation are available to those who want it. No one is forced to believe.

You are also allowed to be free from sin as well but no one forces it. It is a decision made by those who want to worship.

You seem to have a distaste to worship so don't worship. I know what you are and so do you.

-- Posted by donantonio on Fri, Aug 21, 2020, at 11:39 PM
Simply - it is a pledge for all Americans, not only those who follow a Christian God. Simple as that.

I’m Christian, I worship.

I expect no one else to pray/worship as I do.

I expect no one to convert or feel the pressure to feel a way they don’t.

I wish you well and peace with your choice of worship. I hope you can wish others the same, or the choice to not participate in any religion.

-- Posted by GladysK on Sat, Aug 22, 2020, at 12:28 AM
GladysK--a rather ambivalent belief. Straddling the fence can be painful.

-- Posted by donantonio on Sat, Aug 22, 2020, at 8:39 AM
Don Antonio,

You seem to like to think you are provocative.

I haven’t bashed you or your belief system. I’ve tried to be polite.

You don’t seem to want to accept that there are other opinions than your own.

I find that a huge fail of any “Christian” salvation you are espousing.

You said earlier “I know what you are and so do you.”

Yes, I’m a Methodist. And you?

-- Posted by GladysK on Sat, Aug 22, 2020, at 10:49 AM
God has no place in our National pledge or on our money. Seriously, did no one see the irony in placing God’s name on money?

Matthew 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

If God is allowed as part of government, then so are Allah, Ganesha, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

-- Posted by techphcy on Sat, Aug 22, 2020, at 11:06 AM
I'm a product of the public school system, and other than the draft, learning a trade, getting married, buying a house and raising a family, my experiences are probably fairly limited, so as a result, so are my viewpoints. But I have been around long enough to sense that being a Christian may not mean the same thing to many that it did a couple of generations back.

Not being judgmental; to each his own; this is America, after all.

-- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Sat, Aug 22, 2020, at 11:18 AM
To say anything more about God Jehovah would be casting pearls before swine.

There is only One True God and His name is El-Shaddai.

-- Posted by donantonio on Sat, Aug 22, 2020, at 2:53 PM
Don Antonio - Do some fact checking; what you "heard on the radio" (Rush Limbaugh?) is wrong. The Pledge was said all 4 nights of the convention and included "under God" every time. Contrary to the bile spouted by Rush and Hannity, Democrats can be Christians, gun-owners, patriots, etc. We love America, we don't support completely open borders, we don't want non-citizens to vote, and we support well-trained police officers acting legally.

-- Posted by unbiased on Sat, Aug 22, 2020, at 5:45 PM
Does party leadership? That is who matters? They may but the perception they leave might suggest a different position.

Since the Democratic party has now entered this conversation, why do those who live in cities keep re-electing Democrats. They have led most cities for multiple decades yet we see all these issues. Makes no sense. Citizens of cities are obviously upset with current situations. A certain party is and has been in charge of those same cities for some time.

This isn't an endorsement for the other party- just a question for logic behind the same leadership keep getting elected.

We all know the definition of insanity- Doing the same thing over expecting a different result.

-- Posted by beg on Sat, Aug 22, 2020, at 11:40 PM
Those of you who do not like God's name on our money here is my solution:

Take all of your money, wrap it in a box, send it to the Banner Graphic, and they will forward it to me.

Thank you in advance.

-- Posted by donantonio on Sun, Aug 23, 2020, at 12:07 AM

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration:

If you already have an account, follow this link to login
Otherwise, follow this link to register