By Senators Condos, MacDonald, Ayer, Bloomer, Campbell, Collins, Cummings, Gander, Gossens, Kittell, Lyons, Miller, Munt and Sears.
S.R. 22. Senate resolution condemning U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige's characterization of the National Education Association as a terrorist organization.
Whereas, the United States secretary of education, Rod Paige, occupies the most sensitive and important position from which to enunciate federal policy with respect to public education, and
Whereas, the vast majority of public school educators in the United States have organized into education associations, as is their right in accordance with both federal and state laws, and
Whereas, 2.7 million educators belong to the National Education Association and invest their lives and their pride, as well as their money, to achieve their professional goals and those of their professional association, and
Whereas, the National Education Association is a leading voice across this nation on behalf of the interests of both public school educators and America’s schoolchildren, and
Whereas, the Vermont affiliate of the National Education Association and its more than 10,000 members are our friends, our neighbors, our family members, and the teachers of our children, and
Whereas, as one Vermont-NEA member put it, the teachers of our children feed, clothe, hug, nurse, play with, listen to, discipline, teach, dance with, share time and thoughts and feelings with, accept, model and teach acceptance, respect, and demand the same, and love their students, and
Whereas, the current Secretary of Education has called the National Education Association, in public and utterly without justification, a “terrorist organization,” and
Whereas, the members of the National Education Association, its Vermont affiliate, and the members of this general assembly know all too well what it means to be referred to as a terrorist organization while our nation wages real war against real terrorism, and
Whereas, labeling groups “terrorists” today is reminiscent of how some officials stooped to “Red-baiting” half a century ago, now therefore be it
Resolved by the Senate:
That this legislative body condemns the use of the term “terrorist organization” to describe any American organization devoted to the welfare of our children or of working people or, for that matter, of any underprivileged members of our society, and be it further
Resolved: That this legislative body calls upon the President of the United States, George W. Bush, to repudiate this confoundingly inappropriate and inflammatory statement, unbefitting any cabinet official, least of all his Secretary of Education, and be it further
Resolved: That this legislative body requests Governor Douglas to repudiate the use of such defamatory rhetoric, from whatever source, as not befitting a civil society, and be it further
Resolved: That the Secretary of the Senate be directed to send a copy of this resolution to President Bush, Governor Douglas, the members of the Vermont Congressional Delegation, the National Education Association in Washington, D.C., and the Vermont-NEA in Montpelier.
ATTESTED TO:
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David A. Gibson
Secretary of the Senate