Lehigh County Comm'r Refuses to Stand For Pledge, Encourages People "To Stand in Front and Block Ice"

Jon Irons was elected as one of Lehigh County's nine members of its Board of Commissioners in 2023. He refers to himself on his Facebook page as a "Police Abolitionist, Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Racist, Lehigh County Commissioner."  He and several other Comm'rs participated in the July 9 meeting via Zoom, but when he has been physically present, he has refused to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance that usually kicks off public meetings. He also recently encouraged people in a NBC televised broadcast "to stand in front and block ICE from taking neighbors whenever possible."

This was pointed out by my evil Republican brother, Mike O'Hare, at that meeting. My brother acknowledged that this pledge is voluntary. We are, after all, a free country. I could understand someone who is upset about the direction in which this nation is heading. But the pledge itself is an expression of our unity around the noble principles upon which this country was founded, as the Constitution expresses, "to form a more perfect union."

Attorney Ettore "Ed" Angelo, who also spoke at that meeting, defended Irons. "It's called freedom," he said, and it is. And I think the people who voted to put Irons in office should no he has so little regard for this country that he refuses to participate in the pledge. Even I do that. 

I also think it's dangerous to instruct constituents to physically obstruct law enforcement from doing its job. That is actually criminal. There are legal ways to take law enforcement to task when they act like cowboys. Obstruction is about the most foolish thing an elected official should say to anyone. 

As my brother observes, "An elected official should never encourage anyone to knowingly and willingly put themselves in a position where they may face arrest or violate any law. Such statements are reckless and irresponsible. They carry additional authority when made by an elected official and may put people and the County in needless jeopardy."