Sean Brennan Leads Bipartisan Reading of the Declaration
On Independence Day, we watched a 鈥溾�� organized by legislator and educator , representative to Ohio鈥檚 House of Representatives for District 14. Ohio House members from both sides of the aisle took turns reading the Declaration from its opening, 鈥淲hen in the course of human events,鈥� through its closing pledge of 鈥渙ur lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor,鈥� along with the names of its signatories. The reading typifies Brennan鈥檚 creative approach to public service. It also suggests his effectiveness; Brennan鈥檚 colleagues read the Declaration clearly, expressively, and without a stumble.
Brennan, a frequent participant in 澳门六合彩开奖直播 seminars, has long promoted civic education and civil cooperation at the local and state level. For nearly two decades, he served on the city council of Parma, Ohio鈥檚 7th-largest city. His service included a decade as the at-large elected Parma Council President, a role in which he chaired council deliberations. He carried on this work while teaching government and an elective course in constitutional, civil and criminal law at Brecksville-Broadview High School. 鈥淏eing on the Council furnished endless lessons for my classes,鈥� he said. At the same time, Brennan鈥檚 teaching work allowed him to share the views of a younger generation with the older citizens of Parma.
In 2020, Brennan began bringing local naturalization ceremonies into the high school. He wanted students to understand the careful process through which immigrants become citizens. He involved students in planning school assemblies during which new citizens publicly pledged, as is customary, to 鈥渟upport and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic,鈥� to 鈥渂ear true faith and allegiance to the same鈥� and to perform military or other service when the law so requires. Prior to the pledge, the school choir sang, a film celebrating the arrival of immigrants at Ellis Island was shown, and prominent local citizens from immigrant families gave speeches about their own experience of becoming American. Before these assemblies, 鈥渟ome students didn鈥檛 even know what naturalization was! Now they will never forget,鈥� Brennan said.
These events typify Brennan鈥檚 creative approach to public service. As a legislator and educator, he鈥檚 spent his career reaching across generational, ethnic, religious, and partisan lines to carry out projects that serve the whole community. He鈥檚 often worked with private charities on such projects. A runner, he led in the creation of the annual , which raises money for local scholarships and an all-faith food pantry. As a teacher, he appreciated 澳门六合彩开奖直播鈥檚 free seminars featuring scholar-led discussion of primary documents. In his teaching he used only primary documents, knowing from his city council experience that they 鈥渁re the materials you deal with when you are trying to solve political and social problems.鈥� Now, as a full-time legislator, he is 鈥渨orking hard to build trust with my colleagues and to honorably serve the people to the best of my ability.鈥�
