/Portals/2/logos/__TFMF_1ux0h555fix5js2501wvat3q_baf39ce9-367e-48b6-ada2-c2c2940c77e4_0___Selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Sat, 18 May 2013 20:46:50 GMT 15 By Tammy Jiang '12
Emphatic and descriptive, State Assemblyman William Colton spoke about the work he has done for the community as a public servant with several social studies classes on November 7. Mr. Colton has been an Assembly member since 1997. He was involved in community affairs and political activities ever since he was in college. He realized that in order to improve the community, people need to play a part in electing responsive officials. He also has an extensive teaching experience. “I was a NYC public school teacher for 11 years, before becoming a lawyer. I looked forward to the opportunity to give the students an opportunity to learn about what the job of a state legislator entails and about the process of passing state legislation,” said Mr. Colton. Priscilla Consolo ’12, who is an aspiring politician and is currently a Special Assistant for Mr. Colton, asked him to come in and speak to classes to share the knowledge that she has attained while working for him. “He knows that young people are the up-and-coming generation of this country. I’ve experienced this first-hand, since he’s always giving me advice about politics, government, and life in general. I’ve benefited from everything he’s told me, and I wanted to share that with my friends and classmates,” said Consolo ’12. Mr. Colton was the driving force of an important piece of legislature that banned graffiti of swastikas and burning crosses. He received a call from a woman who was a survivor of the Holocaust which made a large impact on him. She saw graffiti of the swastikas in her neighborhood in Bensonhurst, and it brought back chilling memories for her. “I wanted to help pass legislation that made graffiti of swastikas and burning crosses a felony because they were extremely offensive symbols of threats and violence,” said Mr. Colton. He went into depth about the process of passing legislation and the obstacles that he faced in trying to do so. One of the major obstacles he faced was that his bill might be violating the first amendment which protects the right to freedom of expression. “It is not right to threaten violence on people and it should not therefore be protected by free speech,” said Mr. Colton. He was ultimately successful in passing his bill; it is now a felony to paint symbols that are obviously threats. “I found his speech both informative and inspiring,” said Faryal Razaaq ’12. “He described the process by which he passed the bill well. He had to have his bill passed by the state assembly, then the state senate, and the governor had to sign it.” Mr. Colton also talked about working up in Albany during the time between January and June around three days a week. The rest of the time, he is in his community office in which almost 3000 people visit seeking reform and help in healthcare, housings, city agencies, and more. “Out of everything he said, I hope what stays with the students the most is his clarification of what a politician really should be – a “public servant.” Everyone, not only students, and including the politicians themselves, should know that an elected official’s job is not to make a lot of money or to gain a lot of power, but to help people,” said Consolo ’12. “That’s a message that needs to get out because once it does, you will see a change in our nation’s government. And what better way to spread that message than by starting with informing young people?” Mr. Colton learned an important lesson of his duties to the community in his career and hopes that he has conveyed an essential message to everyone, not just people who want a career in politics. “There is a great deal of negative feeling toward public officials. Much of this stems from the public and sometimes criminal failings of elected officials. I believe one of the main reasons this occurs is that such public officials lose sight of their function as public servants who are elected to be vehicles for the public to express its will,” said Mr. Colton. “If elected officials come to believe they are all powerful, this will put them on a path to think they can do anything they want, rather then acting as the voice of the people who elected them. Therefore such elected officials forget that their position must benefit those who elected them and is not intended to be for their personal benefit or gain. I want to empower the students to understand the proper role of a public official as a public servant of the people.” ]]> Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:20:19 GMT