Holy Redeemer Senior Kevin Hourigan may be a son of the digital age, but the speech he gave during Wednesday's rally in support of Catholic teacher unionization was three pages of old fashioned cursive handwriting, a striking throwback in the era of ipods, txt-ing and laptops as thin as envelopes.

The penmanship reminded me of the days when I still wrote under the sway of a Catholic school, legible with evenly spaced letters, curves and loops linking together in a straight line across My handwriting has deteriorated to scrawl in the many years since graduation from Transfiguration school. I usually print when taking notes in the field for a story, and even that turns out unreadable too often when I get back to the office.

But of course, it's content, not appearance, that matters in such a speech, given to about 100 students and adults on Public Square.  The audience doesn't get to look at the tidy script. And the nature of newsprint space meant only a line or two of his three-page delivery made it into this morning's paper.

Kevin and his mother were kind enough to e-mail a scanned copy of the full text to me, and I thought I'd share it. If there are spelling, punctuation or grammar errors, they are almost certainly mine, having been introduced as I transcribed  to typed text.

(I had planned on posting two photos I snapped at the rally, but the computer program seems to be glitching. I may try later).

Here's Kevin's speech:

We all know what has brought us together here today. We are here because we believe truth and justice are worth standing up for. We are here because we believe in dignity, in workers rights and social justice. We are here because we care about the future of Catholic education. But most importantly, I think, we are here because we love our teachers, the individuals who have, as there life’s work, transformed us into the students and adults we are today, and we simply cannot rest until we see our loving teachers granted the right to unionize. Before we say anything else, though, let’s show the teachers just how much they mean to us.

 Yes, our teachers are truly incredible and inspirational people. It is difficult not to catch their infectious enthusiasm for learning, which is readily apparent in their carefully planned lessons, the teeming energy with which they lead their classes, and the genuine concern they show us in the halls and classrooms alike each day. Not only are they masterful teachers but they are also individuals of exceptional character to whom we can look as role models. Personally, I know that I am the person I am today as a result of the diligent work of my teachers. Whether our teachers are instructing us in the classroom or supporting us at sports or music events, our teachers selflessly dedicate their time and energy to fostering our personal and academic growth.

 Now, we the students, have the opportunity to reciprocate the dedication and support that our teachers have so lovingly showed to us. Now, in the midst of this tumultuous threat to our teachers’ rights, it is time to support them. To our teachers: We wholeheartedly support your right to unionize, and we will continue to support you as long as it takes.

 According to Church teaching, our teachers have a basic, undeniable right to their own labor union. This right has been defended right here in the Wyoming Valley during the anthracite coal strikes, and probably not too far from where we are standing right now. This right has been upheld and rigorously supported by Church teachings in the form of mountains of encyclicals, pastoral letters, and even in the Catechism itself. Also, as Americans we have a right to unionization. Under the National Labor Relations Act, we are guaranteed this right. Unfortunately, however, due to the religious nature of our teachers’ occupations this right does not legally extend to our poor teachers. In almost any other profession, the treatment that they have received would be illegal, but because our teachers choose to dedicate themselves to a Catholic mission, they have no recourse for legal action.

 Our teachers deserve a union because it is a basic human right. They do not desire to make greedy monetary demands, but rather they wish, as they absolutely deserve, to have some say in their occupation, some influence in the curriculum that they teach, and some form of organized communication with their employers

 Our stance in this issue is justified not simply by our personal beliefs, but rather based on the knowledge we have accumulated in our studies of theology, philosophy, history and literature. One of our theology textbooks, approved by the diocese, which we will read to you in a minute, notes the importance of labor unions as unquestionably defended by the Church. In addition to our theological studies, in history we learned about the rise of big business, with its devastating effects on the un-unionized man. We have also been versed in the life and beliefs of the peace-seeking Mohandas Gandhi. In literature we have read the works of Henry David Thoreau. It is upon this plethora of knowledge and so much more that we have based our beliefs and followed through with our actions.

Our teachers mean the world to us, we love them, and we support them unflinchingly.

 

About the Author

A West Hazleton native, I worked as a service technician repairing electronic mailing and shipping systems, a bike shop owner and an Emergency Medical Technician (among other jobs) before landing a reporter job at the Times Leader Hazleton Bureau in 1995. I started by covering primarily politics in Hazleton City and outlying municipalities, eventually became "social issues" team leader in the Wilkes-Barre office with the accent on education, and headed the Hazleton Bureau for a spell before returning to full-time reporting, my preferred position. I'm an avid cyclist and rode across the country in 1990, a trip of more than 5,000 miles from New Jersey to Seattle and down the coast to San Francisco. Years in the Boy Scouts made me a life long backpacker and camper, and I've yet to find a better way to enjoy the quiet lure of winter snow than cross country skiing.

Mark also writes a regular blog for timesleader.com.

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