Free Assembly : Students Join Governor to Celebrate the Bill of Rights

Jose Barocio edged past the red and blue star-spangled balloons cluttering the Biltmore Hotel banquet room and grabbed a poster reading, “Free Speech, Free Press, Free Assembly.”

The self-described history buff had come to the right place--a breakfast to launch a months-long celebration, sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, of the bicentennial of the Bill of Rights. Barocio and nine of his classmates from Belmont High School joined civic leaders, including Gov. Pete Wilson, to praise the 10 amendments added to the U.S. Constitution.

“If it wasn’t for the First and the Fifth (Amendments), I’d be in a lot of trouble,” Barocio said with a big smile. “I love to express my opinion.”

Thursday morning, the 17-year-old junior exercised his freedom to assemble but put his freedom of speech on hold, choosing instead to listen to Wilson talk about the benefits of the historic amendments.

“The Bill of Rights fulfills the promise of those who wrote it only if we are careful to make sure it takes a meaningful place in the lives of our children,” Wilson told the crowd. While a recording of “Yankee Doodle” played in the background, Wilson then signed an enlarged copy of the document with a ballpoint pen glued to a white feather.

Seeing Wilson was the highlight of the event for the Belmont students, who attended as part of their high school’s International Studies Academy, which features trips to see national leaders.

Lew McCammon, a history teacher who coordinates the program, said the bicentennial celebration is important to remind students of their rights as American citizens. The Bill of Rights “articulates a lot of the concerns we have been discussing in the classroom.”

While the students gave sheepish replies of “no” when asked if they could list the 10 amendments, they agreed that they were well aware of the first one.

“I know about the freedom of speech, press and assembly,” said 11th-grader Leyda Garcia.

Others laughed when they watched a brief video at the breakfast featuring adults who either did not know what the Bill of Rights was or could not name a specific amendment.

“It’s kind of funny--older people not knowing the Bill of Rights,” junior Patricia Pacheco commented.

Sponsors of the celebration said they hope to change that by targeting immigrants as well as other adults. Robert Erburu, chairman and chief executive officer of Times Mirror Co. and co-chairman of the bicentennial celebration in Southern California, said pocket-sized copies of the Bill of Rights are being distributed to thousands of Southland residents.

The celebration will feature essay contests, art exhibits and concerts throughout the year and will end in December with a weekend festival and parade in downtown Los Angeles.