We, the undersigned residents of Brevard County, unite across party lines on this clear issue:

Public officials may NOT chill or violate our freedom of speech, especially when criticizing our own government. 

To protect our republic, we must have the moral courage to speak up when constitutional liberties are threatened, especially here in our own community.  None of us should have to play to an elected official's sensitivities or ego to conduct county business, nor should we fear for our our livelihoods when speaking openly and critically about our own government.

Since taking office, Commissioner Bryan Lober has apparently:

• Retaliated against the employment interests of a private citizen for exercising her right to free speech, which local talk show host Bill Mick called a "threat [that] should never be uttered from the mouth of an elected official"; 
• Made crude so-called “jokes” about using a "snow plow" to harm to those exercising their First Amendment right to protest, remarks the Anti-Defamation League of Florida called “irresponsible” and suggested “could be taken to greenlight violence”;
• Decided to form an attorney-client relationship with a former local government official facing felony charges of organized corruption (to include RICO, racketeering, extortion, and drugs), and who is married to the Chair of the Brevard County Commission, despite the apparent conflict of interest and "the appearance of impropriety" described by conservative blog Raised on Hoecakes;
• Made shockingly cruel, dehumanizing, personal insults on an online public forum directed at an individual who expressed dissent at recent County Commission meetings - earning local, state, and national embarrassment for Brevard by suggesting a local woman get an abortion instead of having children because her "litter" would be "a scourge on humanity";
• Blocked constituents and local residents who dissented with him on Facebook, silencing critics in public forums, which federal courts have found to be unconstitutional; and
• Falsely accused and threatened to sue a County resident after she made a public records request regarding his phone records.

Commissioner Lober has caused the County national press coverage / embarrassment and has likely distracted the Commission from Brevard’s more pressing concerns.  How long are we to wait for resolution?  One thing is clear, we CANNOT normalize this behavior.  It cannot be a new County policy due to inaction by those who have a clear duty to protect our rights.

While some call for resignation or removal by the Governor of Florida, others ask that our County Commission censure Commissioner Lober and immediately remove him from the position of Vice Chair.  

For the purpose of this petition, we the undersigned simply and clearly want measures that condemn and cease government violations of our freedom of speech, effectively and immediately.

Fellow residents of Brevard, and especially our neighbors in County Commission District 2, (including most of Cocoa, Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral and parts of Rockledge), join us by adding your signature to this petition by July 8th, 2019.

<<<If you fear retaliatory backlash from signing this petition, all the more reason to sign it, don't you think?>>> #NoChill

Attend the next Brevard County Commission meeting, 5pm on July 9th at the Brevard County Government Center, Building C, at 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way in Viera. 

Brevard County residents may offer a three-minute public comment.