“Respect is earned; it’s not demanded.”

– Rep. Michael Speciale

Well isn’t that special!

Actually, it’s not that special coming from Speciale. This teacher would not have expected anything else to come from his lips concerning the teacher rally and march this past May 16^th. If anything, it is rather consistent with what he has spewed before to those who use their First Amendment rights that he so outspokenly defends.

On his website, michaelspeciale.com, under the “Biography” tab he stated,

“I am loyal to the Constitution, and any abrogation of this document is an affront on our liberties. I will continue to oppose any legislation that I believe contradicts the State and US Constitutions. 

I have given away hundreds of pocket Constitutions in an effort to get my fellow Americans to read and understand the Supreme Law of the Land and their rights as free citizens. I continue to give them away, as I have done for several years. If you would like a copy, please contact me with your mailing address.”

Remember his Facebook post concerning the 2017 Women’s March in Raleigh?

“The march WAS A JOKE. Hey, offended snowflakes, the march was not about women or women’s rights, it was about pushing a liberal agenda,” Speciale said in the Facebook post. “Pro-life women not allowed! There were, however, women dressed as vaginas, and little girls holding signs with the “F” word and more” (http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article129824694.html).

And then when he was reported as having said that in the Raleigh News & Observer, he attacked the press.

Freedom of the press is in the constitution, isn’t it?

Then there was that email in which he attacked the Rev. William Barber concerning he Voter ID law that was actually declared “unconstitutional.”

(https://www.wral.com/house-freshman-calls-naacp-chief-racist-/12050778/).

I believe what Rep. Speciale does not understand is that when I marched and rallied in Raleigh, it was not necessarily to just get his respect as a person using my First Amendment rights. In fact, I don’t want Rep. Speciale’s respect. Based on his platform and complicity in past bills and budgets concerning education and his words about other North Carolianians fighting for social change, earning Speciale’s respect is not part of my lesson plan.

I marched and rallied so that he gets defeated in November.

Actually, what Rep. Speciale’s words and tone do are validate my actions and the actions of other public school advocates. The reason for marching and rallying in Raleigh was not to ever to just get his personal respect, but his attention and the attention of those with whom he works and votes. In fact, his words shed more light and more attention on the actual issue.

He is proving why we as teachers, staff, and public school advocates HAD to march and rally on May 16^th. The more he speaks out in the manner he has in the past and recent past, the more he authenticates our actions.

Speciale’s words concerning teachers are his. He’s allowed to have them. Freedom of speech. Protected in the Constitution. The fact that they were made in a committee meeting that is shielding the democratic process from working by use of his party’s nuclear option sets his words in a very sadistically ironic light. Even more ironic is that he stated in the same meeting that politics do not belong in his office.

Funny how a politician who is using his political office to play politics on a budget that not only shortfalls education but continuously slams the teaching profession cries “Foul” when he is confronted by a sign.

But also protected in the Constitution is the right to vote, and if there is enough respect for public education that may come about because of the actions of people peacefully protesting, then Rep. Speciale may not be in Raleigh next year.

Hopefully he will be replaced by someone who does respect teachers and public education.

Until then he can count the number of people here:

20,001, 20,002, 20,003, ….