Notable House Floor Speeches, Freedom of Speech
On November 16, 1999, Cohen defended Philadelphia School District Superintendent David Hornbeck from calls by Tom Druce that incoming Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street should not reappoint him as Superintendent. He said "the fact that Mr. Druce or other members of this House may disagree with remarks made by the superintendent of schools is absolutely no reason to use the powers of this House to seek his firing. As Mr. Roebuck said (James R. Roebuck), people in this country, even people who are despised by every single member of the State House, have the right to speak. It is not a right we graciously give people because we like them. Freedom of speech for those we like is meaningless. Mr. Hornbeck's freedom of speech is not dependent on whether he has majority support in the House of Representatives or not; it is something inherent in every American citizen and every Pennsylvania citizen. To attempt to muzzle Superintendent Hornbeck's speech is an outrage. It is an invitation to endless further litigation.... The attempt to discipline a school superintendent because his remarks are disagreed with is at the very best a very, very foolish thing. I would hope over the next several weeks the maker of this threat would reconsider this threat and decide to let Mr. Hornbeck speak and to let a speech be just a speech and not an ongoing public issue."
Read more about this topic: Mark B. Cohen
Famous quotes containing the words freedom of speech, notable, house, floor, freedom and/or speech:
“Here we have the beautiful British compromise: a man can say anything, he mustnt do anything; a man can listen to anything, but he musnt be roused to do anything. By freedom of speech is meant freedom to talk about; speech is not saying-as-an-action.”
—Paul Goodman (19111972)
“Every notable advance in technique or organization has to be paid for, and in most cases the debit is more or less equivalent to the credit. Except of course when its more than equivalent, as it has been with universal education, for example, or wireless, or these damned aeroplanes. In which case, of course, your progress is a step backwards and downwards.”
—Aldous Huxley (18941963)
“Men have their own questions, and they differ from those of mothers. New mothers are more interested in nutrition and vulnerability to illness while fathers tend to ask about when they can take their babies out of the house or how much sleep babies really need.”
—Kyle D. Pruett (20th century)
“Trams and dusty trees.
Highbury bore me. Richmond and Kew
Undid me. By Richmond I raised my knees
Supine on the floor of a narrow canoe.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“A man may be a pessimistic determinist before lunch and an optimistic believer in the wills freedom after it.”
—Aldous Huxley (18941963)
“No speech can stain what is noble by nature.”
—Sophocles (497406/5 B.C.)