The First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution provides, in part, “Congress shall make no law respecting … the right of the people … to petition the Government ….” Section 15 of the Maine Constitution is entitled “Right of Petition” and sets out “The people have the right at all times … to request … of the government by petition ….”
An impressive example to the exercise of that “right of petition” was recently demonstrated in Brunswick as citizens came together to successfully urge the school board to reconsider the decision to put younger children in our middle school.
For a long-term elected official to characterize the citizens’ efforts as bullying discloses that individual’s profound misunderstanding of her role and of governing processes in our state and nation. Isn’t it time for a resignation?
Ervin D. Snyder
Brunswick
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