First Amendment:

FOR VIEWPOINT/COUNTER VIEWPOINT in the Suffolk Times

First Amendment: Speaking up, Listening to Both Sides, Accepting/Respecting Adversity in Viewpoints

By Dr. Edward A. Marlatt August 24, 2022

The First Amendment seems to be under attack in our country for the last few years. What we accepted as our constitutional right, is now being questioned by some. With forces of Nationalism at odds with forces of Globalism in the USA, immoderation seems to have set in on both sides.

Would like to share my recent experience when I ran for the school board in the Mattituck-Cutchogue-Laurel schools.

Raised the issue of Critical Race Theory {CRT} in my platform and candidates’ night, not taking a stand on the issue. Raised the idea in the form of an interrogative hoping for an open-ended discussion of the pros and cons of this concept. The candidates’ night was in a ZOOM format, so it was not the best setting for dialogue on CRT.

Did not know that my raising this issue would cause a ruckus the next day via social media. I was the recipient of a full WOKE attack. WOKE attack so soon? Did not even give my position on CRT. If they had asked for it, we could have clarified it by respecting each other’s first amendment rights, expressing ourselves, and listening to other different opinions.

However, what is left if we do not respect and listen to divergent views and opinions? The attack was designed to portray me as a danger to the school and the community plus dangerous to schoolchildren.

Well, am not against CRT, but do not see a place for it with public, parochial, and private school students. CRT to me is a valid course to be taught at the university/college level for an elective or as a requirement for a major.

How many of the WOKISTS had even read about or studied CRT? CRT will present all kinds of theories and theorists from extreme left to extreme right.

Will share with you that I shared the most interest in the work and words of Martin Luther King and Booker T. Washington but again that is my personal perspective and am wanting to listen to your personal perspective also.

Thought that was the way our Freedom of Speech was presented to me.

Why would Americans want to let go of this great freedom? If you are going to push American Civilization to follow diversity, then that also means adversity in opinions which I thought since 1776 we heralded in the USA.

Edward A. Marlatt Ph.D. Retired Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Adelphi University 243 Maiden Lane Mattituck, NY edwardmarlatt@gmail.com/646 248-0640 CELL/516 877-4779 WORK