YOUR PERSPECTIVE: The Right to “Assemble?”
By Space Coast Daily // May 3, 2012
YOUR PERSPECTIVE
ON MONDAY, MAY 7 at 9 a.m., the school board is going to hold a hearing in which our Brevard Federation of Teachers and our Brevard County school district are going to argue their points of view about some aspects of the teacher contract.
The issue I have is this – if we have a meeting that early in the morning, then how are the teachers going to attend the meeting?
Is this a violation of our right to assemble? The first amendment of the United States Constitution states,” Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
The first amendment of the United States Constitution states,” Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
Union member teachers have been told by Brevard Federation of Teachers, that our district set the time for this hearing. A growing amount of teachers believe that the intent of having an early start is to not have any teachers attend the hearing.
There is also a growing belief amongst our teachers if we were to attend the hearing, that our district would use the fact that we have a Right to Assemble against teachers because they are not in the classroom teaching their students. If this is really the intention on any of our district leaders to have the hearing at 9:00 A.M, then has our Right to Assemble been violated?
Lyndon B. Johnson stated that, “Free speech, free press, free religion, the right of free assembly, yes, the right of petition….well, they are still radical ideas.”In the year 2012, does our school district believe that the Right to Assemble for our teachers is still a radical idea? If so, then LBJ was right.
Marcus Hochman
Citizen and Teacher for the Republic For Which I Stand, With Freedom Comes Responsibility
