Comments on: THIS is a First Amendment Issue

By: ptm

ptm — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 21:42:48 +0000

This sure seems like a bad decision on the part of the school system, but it’s an employment law issue, not a First Amendment one. Nobody’s preventing this woman from saying whatever she wants – they’re just declining to employ her.

By: James E

James E — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 19:45:17 +0000

She made some good points, but she did sensationalize some (I doubt illegal immigrants use more taxpayer money than any other group). But for the government to discipline an employee for speaking dissenting views is unconstitutional as well as reprehensible.

The real mystery is, where are the screams from mainstream media types who would be full of rage if this was how an anti-war protester was treated?

Oh, yeah, I forgot…… all liberal speech is progressive, and all conservative speech is hate speech.

By: The Southfarthing Soapbox » Blog Archive » Censored

The Southfarthing Soapbox » Blog Archive » Censored — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 19:09:43 +0000

[...] A Florida teacher was suspended for exercizing her constitutional rights by writing a letter to her Congressman. [...]

By: bookjunkie

bookjunkie — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 18:05:39 +0000

i’m a teacher and have been very involved with my association at a local level. i have some real problems with the nea, but this is a prime example of why teachers formed the ‘union’ and a large reason why they usually belong to the organization when they otherwise would not. (many teachers would prefer to join the local and/or state associations only but that isn’t an option. another example: my region director had been a classroom teacher who was sued by some parents for putting a band aid on their kid’s finger!) i know we have to find a balance, but administrators aren’t known for standing up for their staff when it’s the right thing to do.

she could very well have gotten the bad treatment from the administrators who spend a good part of their days in the statehouse lobbying and who have written a few letters themselves!! sheesh! she’s not only a teacher, but she’s a private citizen and her writing that letter is her right and nobody else’s business!!!!

By: patd95

patd95 — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 16:49:52 +0000

How come ABC is not in front of Congress explaining why it supports a group that funds Hamas?

By: uppitymonkey

uppitymonkey — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 16:39:24 +0000

Puerto Ricans (United States citizens, as jcarlos pointed out) aren’t allowed in Florida? Wow, you learn something new every day.

I understand her anger about illegal (key word there) immigrants, but I’m still disturbed by the overall tone of her letter.

And on a purely snarky note: she would have done well to have someone proofread her letter prior to sending it out. Oi!

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 16:21:36 +0000

“Idiot in chief”? I resent that comment.

Far better than Harry Kerry would have been.

At any rate, what’s wrong with her tone? She’s upset that people who have no right to be here are using the taxpayers money for education and welfare. I’m FAR angrier than she is about it.

These people should be immediately rounded up and deported, in my view.

By: tab

tab — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 14:53:19 +0000

Perhaps the reason she was suspended was because it is questionable as to whether she can adequately and effectively teach immigrant children considering her obvious disdain for them. This is NOT a first amendment issue…

By: jcarlos1

jcarlos1 — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 07:29:46 +0000

Jan Hall, the so called teacher from Florida, is an idiot. Puerto Ricans are not foreigners, they’re U.S. citizens. Citizenship was extend to Puerto Ricans in 1917, though Puerto Rico remains a territorial possession(1898 Spanish American War). And may I included that Puerto Ricans have enlisted & served the U.S. in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, to the present War on Terror.

By: Indigo

Indigo — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 05:29:34 +0000

She had me until “get the troops home.” What, please, did that have to do with the issue raised in her letter? Was there a paragraph deleted that would have connected these dots? Unbelievable!

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 03:15:39 +0000

Exactly what does this woman teach? Forget the subject of the letter. Examine the calibre of its composition as it bears on the fitness of the author to be an instructor. Far from blaming the school district for firing her, I blame the school district for hiring her.

By: Mrs. du Toit

Mrs. du Toit — Sun, 28 Aug 2005 19:35:04 +0000

Not sure I have enough information to make a sound decision in this case.

Did she use her classroom as a soapbox? If that was the case, then firing her was appropriate. As a private citizen, in the public square or her home, she may say whatever she wants. However, she has no right to use government property as her own or to get children involved her personal opinions–as a government employee THAT would be a violation of the rights of others.

If this is just a case of the school being morons (which wouldn’t surprise me at all), I hope she sues and wins.

By: Jimbo

Jimbo — Sun, 28 Aug 2005 18:24:39 +0000

While I agree that her firing was unacceptable, I wonder if it wasn’t for the better. If she was truly that concerned with immigrants, she may find herself happer in a place like Montana rather than in a school that (as someone above mentioned) is 90+ percent immigrants.

I’d also like to point out that if the extent of one’s political rhetoric is referring to George Bush as “idiot in chief,” that’s probably a bigger insult against you than it is against him.

By: The Colossus of Rhodey

The Colossus of Rhodey — Sun, 28 Aug 2005 17:51:47 +0000

Detestable letter, but still a violation …

… of her First Amendment rights: A Florida teacher was recently suspended for exercising her constitutional rights. She wrote to her representative about the burden illegal aliens place on America, and the school board suspended her. Dear Honorable C…

By: DarkStar

DarkStar — Sun, 28 Aug 2005 13:49:46 +0000

Why a letter to a congressman would end up being printed in a newspaper is curious.

Good point!