Sioux Falls, SD (KELO.com) - Mayor candidate David Zokaites used his public input time during Tuesday's City Council meeting to call for reform to the way those meetings begin.
Currently, the meetings begin with an invocation/Prayer by a Pastor of one of the city's Churches and the pledge of allegiance. If Zokaites has it his way, that order will be overhauled to include a dedication that he would write. "It would include some grounded aspirations, some marvelous goals like loyalty, truth, justice, and compassion." He went on to say that he would have an atheist and a Muslim write two other parts of the dedication to promote an open and inclusive government. Then, every eight months a new city councilor would have the opportunity to write a new pre-meeting dedication of their choosing.
Under Zokaites' proposal, the pledge and prayer would be eliminated. He says things promised in the pledge of allegiance like liberty and justice for all are not delivered. "Our government protects massively large crimes, and prosecutes tinny wenie ones. That's not liberty and justice for all," said Zokaites. He went on to add that the "One nation, under God" promise in the pledge does not sit well with him, saying he does not see the Lord's work carried out when unjust wars are started.
Zokaites admitted that there's nothing wrong with opening the meetings with Prayer, since the US Constitution says that the Government shall make no law regarding Religion. He says that his plan for a pre-meeting dedication would roll the Prayer and pledge into one inclusive statement.