ROUNDUP — A radio show in Roundup is trying to form a sense of unity by saying the Pledge of Allegiance every morning on the air.
The Mike and Bill Show on 99.9 FM started the tradition on Tuesday morning around 7 a.m. in an effort to provide a sense of unity.
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"People on both sides are just having a problem with coming together," co-host Mike Morgan said. "We've got Republicans and Democrats that can't work together."
Morgan said that the idea came from their listeners, after Roundup resident Emmett Wanzer made a post on Facebook suggesting they recite the pledge gained traction.
"It kind of reminds me of being a kid," Morgan said Tuesday morning. "We used to do that in elementary school. It's kind of sad that we don't do that anymore like we used to."
Morgan said the community seemed excited by the new tradition and hoped that it could help unite people during divisive times.
"This area is very patriotic, and we've always been that way," Morgan said.
The gesture resonates particularly with local veterans like Ron Carson, who served for 22 years in the U.S. Air Force, and said he's worried about the current political climate.
"As a veteran and as an American, it's extremely disturbing," Carson, a longtime listener, said. "It's frightful times ahead for us with the division we see in the country."
Carson said he's appreciative of what Morgan and his co-host Bill Edwards are doing.
"The Pledge of Allegiance is a great thing, and I'm glad to see our radio station is jumping on that," Carson said. "It might be a simple gesture, but there's a lot of meaning to it too. It just means a lot to me. I'm going to, as often as I can, be at home watching them live hopefully doing this pledge."
Morgan and Edwards hope other stations across Montana will adopt similar practices.
"It only takes about 20 seconds to do the Pledge of Allegiance, and you know, maybe other stations will hear this and think it's a good idea for them too," Morgan said. "I hope they do."
