civil disobedience
Local schools as well as schools around the nation are grappling with student walk-outs to protest immigration policies. Unfortunately, the majority of these civil disobedient youth are opportunists, looking for an excuse for truancy. Misconceptions run high. A boy asked me if all the illegals would be deported if they kept coming to school.
Schools' attitudes in our area have been pretty consistent: we don't support walking out on your education, we will offer forums to learn about and debate the complex issue of immigration. I was impressed by our own superintendent's letter to parents that tacitly complimented those students who walked out Monday, March 27 for their orderliness, the sophistication of the student leaders, and the manner in which they walked to the capital, listened to speakers, and returned to class afterwards. The superintendent then pointed out that the 300 students who walked out the next day were not the same students--showing disrespect at our schools and in our community.
It's interesting that all this is occurring simultaneously with Chavez' birthday (who by the way strongly opposed illegal immigration) and the protests by students and labor workers in France.
Definitely a learning opportunity.
posted by Jessica @ 5:37 AM
6 Comments:
It's been happening around here (though not at my school, of course), but you're right about many of the students being opportunistic about all this. Sounds like your district is hadling it in a sane manner.
not happening here in atlanta that i know of. interesting with the number of latinos in the community.
Strikes in schools by pupils end up starting well then as an excuse to skive off or for violence and freedom of expression.
As you can guess, we have had little if any impact here.
In a bit of humour, I do see some irony in Cesar Chavez's "canonization" and the timing of the whole thing
An excellent, poignant aspect of an important issue, very well presented.
I'm glad you're a voice of reason inside a demographic which can be completely unreasonable.
When I went too school, I went on a strike too - at that time it was a protest against the first Golf War. I was not entirely sure about who organized it all, but it felt good to "make peace, not war" and to really have the feeling of doing something in a world were young people more and more feel like a playball of the forces around them.
Of course it also was a good excuse to not go to school, and of course everybody who didn't join the protesters was "uncool".
I'm glad it's still happening, because it's a sign that young people have a mind of their own.
Post a Comment
<< Home