House Speaker to Groen: Apologize to Students, Colleagues

Speaker Shawn Jasper, R-Hudson, on Friday called on state Rep. Warren Groen, R-Rochester, to apologize to the students of Lincoln Ackerman Elementary School in Hampton Falls for his suggestion that the red-trailed hawk should be the mascot for Planned Parenthood, since the bird uses it beak and claws to “rip its victim to shreds, treating it apart limb by limb,” likening it to an abortion.

Jasper called to comment “offensive on many levels” and said Groen owed his constituents, fellow representatives, and the students an apology.

“Rep. Groen clearly crossed the line in his remarks during the debate on the Red Tailed Hawk,” Jasper said in a statement. “Not only was it in extremely poor taste but it also violated Mason’s Rules which governs debate, that ‘No one is to speak impertinently (or rudely).’”

Jasper added that when he was elected, he told representatives that he would be demanding that members “maintain respect for each other, for the institution and for our guests from the public who come to the State House complex to conduct business.” He said he understood the right to freedom of speech but that representatives needed to be sensitive to the audience in attendance. Jasper likened the comments to yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theatre and then claiming freedom of speech.

Groen’s comments, as well as those made by Concord Democrat state Rep. Christy Bartlett, against the proposal by students to name the red-tailed hawk the official state raptor, were first reported by progressive political blogger Susan the Bruce on Monday. Bruce posted a video of the testimony about the bill and wrote that the entire episode was “obnoxious and disrespectful.”

The video was later aggregated by NH1 and on a number of national political websites including the Huffington Post and Politico, causing a national firestorm.

Patch has emailed Groen for comment but has not yet heard back from him.

Photo collage: From left, Rep. Groen, Speaker Jasper, the red-tailed hawk, and the New Hampshire Statehouse.