Lawrence Jones says Pledge of Allegiance controversy sparks mixed reactions in Minnesota city

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Lawrence Jones visits St. Louis Park, Minn. to interview residents on pledge controversy

Lawrence Jones visits St. Louis Park, Minn. to interview residents on pledge controversy

Residents offered mixed reactions to a Minnesota city's initial plan to stop reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of its council meetings -- a decision that city officials are now reconsidering -- according to Lawrence Jones.

Some residents of St. Louis Park, Minn. -- a city of 45,000 near Minneapolis and St. Paul -- want the pledge to remain a custom, while others differed in their opinions, Jones told Sean Hannity Wednesday on "Hannity."

"Obviously this is a liberal town, so you have mixed reactions," he said. "Some liberals said, 'We want to get the Pledge of Allegiance.' Some of them say it is discriminatory toward some citizens in this country."

On the street, one woman told Jones her son is in the Cub Scouts and recites the pledge regularly.

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"You're an American, you should be doing the Pledge of Allegiance," she said.

Another resident said she was "old school" and didn't agree with the initial decision to consider dropping the pledge.

A third person said they didn't need to recite the pledge to show respect.

"I want respect being taught to people, whether they are saying words, it's more actions."

Earlier this week, protesters were out in force, upset over the city council's decision to stop reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of its meetings.

The St. Louis Park City Council announced its decision after a unanimous vote June 17. The amendment to the council's rules was characterized as an effort to serve a more “diverse community."

“We concluded that in order to create a more welcoming environment to a diverse community we’re going to forgo saying the Pledge of Allegiance before every meeting,” Council Member Tim Brausen said ahead of the vote.

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Council member Anne Mavity, who sponsored the rules change, told KARE-TV of Minneapolis that she didn’t think saying the pledge was necessary, especially for non-citizens.

"Not everyone who does business with the city or has a conversation is a citizen," she said. “They certainly don't need to come into city council chambers and pledge their allegiance to our country in order to tell us what their input is about a sidewalk in front of their home.”

The council's meeting to reconsider the controversial change was held Monday, as nearly 100 citizens waved American flags and chanted "U-S-A!" in a bid to convince the council to reverse course before the change takes effect next week.

Fox News' David Montanaro contributed to this report.