[More than 100,000 people marched in Phoenix, AZ]The AZ Daily Star reports that 500 teachers and thousands of students skipped classes yesterday for a lesson in civic responsibility as they joined in the marches and protests.
The recent series of marches is bigger than anything since the Vietnam War or the Civil Rights movement of the sixties. What a great lesson for the kids who get to learn first hand what it means to take responsibility for the nation in which we live.
Nearly 15,000 students and at least 500 classroom teachers were absent Monday, leaving some local schools with less than half their normal attendance and one school missing its entire faculty.
But officials stressed that to the best of their ability, the school day went on as normal.
The largest impact from the immigration protests was on Tucson High Magnet School, 400 N. Second Ave. There, 1,500 of the school's 2,600 students were absent, with 200 more walking out Monday morning. Forty-six teachers were absent.
At Davis Bilingual Magnet School, 500 W. St. Mary's Road, the entire staff of 19 teachers took off and substitutes were brought in to cover their classes."I think it's a well-educated staff," Davis Principal Christopher Loya said about the faculty absences. "These are people who know the issues, and they are also activists. All teachers are activists."
For the most part, students opted to just skip school rather than walk out as they had in student walkouts in late March. Part of the reason was the different nature of Monday's protest, where many students joined their families to march.
It's great that these marches yesterday were family events. We have had several generations of kids grow up believing the system is beyond our control -- that we have no influence on a corrupt government.
For the first time in my lifetime, we may have a generation of kids who grow up believing that the government works for them and that they should take responsibility for how they want their representatives to speak for them in Washington.
[Cross-posted at Raven's View.]
9 comments:
Bill, I have mixed thoughts and feelings about all of this. On the one hand, I don't agree with the House bill that would make illegal immigrants and those who help them felons. But I also don't believe that people should be able to sneak in, live, and work here illegally and virtually thumb their noses at our immigration laws. And that, unfortunatly is what many of these demonstrators appear to be doing. I also don't believe that they should continue to be treated and abused as virtual slave labor. However, I think that the key to reform is to stop undocumented individuals from getting jobs rather than turning them into felons. If anyone should to be turned into felons, let it be employers who repeatedly hire undocumented workers.
I also believe that teachers and students should be warned that if they leave school to engage in more demonstrations, they will face severe sanctions. Students who ignore these warnings should be suspended, and teachers who do it should be fired. If part of learning "civic responsibility" is standing up for one's perceived rights, part of it is also incurring consequences for one's actions. I believe that students and others can engage in meaningful protests without compromising our schools.
And I would really like to see protestors express some understanding of why American citizens and legal immigrants, such as my Thai wife, do not approve of illegal immigration, and I would like to see them suggest reasonable alternatives to the House bill, alternatives that would stop the flow of illegal immigrants into this country and would require those who are already here to make restitution and go though legal channels to remain here as either permanent residents or American citizens. What I am seeing now is mostly sheer defiance and a sense of unconidtional entitlement. And I have to tell you that this doesn't sit well with me at all.
As a law student I have studied the history of the United States laws. Why should we not have "sheer defiance" against laws that are based in racism and abuse. Perhaps it seems odd that a lawyer would advocate for civil disobediance but I am. There are certain laws that do not deserve to be paid attention. If you knew about the history of the way in which the US has treated immigrants, in particular those from Mexico, perhaps youwould understand where this sense of "unconidtional entitlement" comes from. All of the southwest was Mexico. the land was bought from a president that had been thrown out of his own country due to revolution. So is this a legal purchase? I don't think so. Many people believe that this is Mexican land. The US companies and government act together to bring people to this country. Have for generations. Then periodically when the economy goes down the anti-immigrant rhetoric goes up. At one point after needing the Mexicans and giving them citizenship, during WWII, the US decided they didn't need us anymore. So they rounded up people and put them in cattle cars shipping them back to mexico. Citizens and non-citizens alike. Yes I have a sense of entitlement, my family has been here and worked here since the dawn of man, the laws of the United States will have nothing to do with this. If you want to stop immigration then raise the economy in Mexico so that they can live over there instead of coming here. Oh but that won't work will it, because the american economy would be destroyed without the immigrants keeping it up.
Beyond all that, shame on you, yes shame on you, for suggesting that teachers and students should be punished for going to marches. In a country where we always lament that the youth are lazy, that teachers don't teach, and that in general we are too passive; these people are the best of our country. Fighting for something they believe in. What better education can you get about what it means to be an american. An engaged member of society.
Bill, sorry I got so worked up but you know how strongly I feel about all this.
Erica Cornejo
Erica, thank you for your impassioned and eloquent response to my comments. For what it's worth, my father was Mexican, and I've always wanted to see people of all nationalities have good and happy lives. But let me see if I understand you correctly. First, do you believe that the USA should abolish all immigration laws and allow everyone who so desires to live and work here? If not, what do you believe the USA should do instead? Second, do you believe that any student, teacher, or employee of any public institution should be able to take off anytime he or she wishes to demonstrate for a cause in which he or she believes? If not, what restrictions do you believe should be placed on them in this regard?
I look forward to reading your thoughtful answers to these questions. Perhaps we can find common ground in our positions on this matter.
Namaste,
Steve
Erica, Whatever way the Southwest was bought it is now a done deal and it is a legal and binding contract. If Mexico wishes to purchase it back have them offer their bid to the President of the United States.So you as a lawyer believe immigration laws are wrong in the United States? In any country you go to they have immigration laws similar to ours. I would not be able to sneak into Mexico and live and work now would I without proper documentation?No I would either be deported or thrown in jail and held for ransom. Mexico can make their own enconmy go up if they so chose to, they choose not to. The governement in Mexico is not suffering from lack of anything. What do they do with all of their money, it certainly does not go to help it's citizens.
Erica, Good that you can get so passionate about this as we all should. This is not about racism or abuse. This is about following the law. You as a las student should know this. My question to you is how can I, an American living in America, fix the Mexican government. It would behoove the people there to stand up and let their voices be heard the way they are raising them here. No I don't think they should be allowed to circumvent the LEGAL IMMIGRATION process this country has had in place for many decades. your argument about the economy not holding up is just that, an argument that has no merit. There are plenty of people that would be glad to have a job in this day and age no matter what it was. For that matter, we could have welfare recipients that are capable do the types of jobs and thereby lower welfare roles. As you are passionate about giving them amnesty, which I might add did not work in the eighties, I am passionate about heving them fix themselves, we cannot be the world's police or babysitter anymore at the cost of our own citizens welfare.
I'm sure you all will be pleased to hear that the AZ legislature just passed a bill that will treat all illegals under the criminal trespass laws.
Personally, I think this is nuts. I also think that the conservative views on immigration are hypocritical, but that was addressed in another post.
Further, just because a law exists does not make it just or correct. The "we must follow the laws" kind of thinking is on par with sheep following each other over a cliff. Bad laws must be opposed, and we must force our government to change the laws.
More than 75 percent of Americans believe in amnesty AND tougher border protection. The government should listen to the people.
I left a longer post explaining my views that did not get stick for some reason. But as people seem to be responding to my earlier post I should say a few things.
1. Laws can be racist. Just because it is a law doesn't mean that it was handed down from god. Laws are created by people. People can be racist. There are so many examples of this I could create a blog on this alone.
2. I believe that teachers should be leaders. Punishing them for helping their students become more engaged, whatever the cause, is wrong.
3. There are many economists that state in very clear terms, that in order for the US to survive it needs a huge influx of cash. We are currently borrowing billions of dollars from china. Throwing money at creating a police state does absolutely nothing for the US. We can't keep our heads in the sand any longer.
4. Of course the Southwest is not going back to mexico. I'm not stupid. What I am saying is that Mexicans have a strong cultural affinity to this area. It is part of our homeland. Borders are a fallacy.
5. Mexico has had problems in the past in terms of governmental corruption. But do we really want to be pointing fingers right now? Mexico is rich in resources, both natural (oil, etc.) and human. Since when has the US decided that it wants to turn away from the city on the hill ideal to the I am not my brothers keeper mantra. Mexico shares a long border with the US. Mexican, and latinos in general, are going to be huge portion of the population, and I mean legal people. Dealing with this in a human and fair way is in the best interests of the US and ALL its citizens.
I have much more to say but would rather leave it for now.
Erica
So, once again, Erica, are you saying that the USA should abolish ALL immigration laws and allow unrestricted access to anyone and everyone who wants to live here? Or would you grace only Latin Americans such as yourself with this right? If you are not advocating unrestricted immigration to any group, what restrictions would you consider fair? Second, are you advocating that people violate federal and state laws regulating immigration because you have decided that these laws are racist and unjust? Finally, should students and teachers be able to leave class anytime they wish to mount protests against, say, illegal immigration, or should they be prohibited from engaging in this and other protests during school hours?
Namaste,
Steve
Bill, for what it's worth, I'm not happy with what the Arizona legislature has done, but I think it's perfectly understandable given the attitudes of people like Erica who consider borders a "fallacy." I think Arizona's approach, which may very well be followed by other states and given the Gold Seal of approval by a reactionary Supreme Court, amounts to hateful scapegoating and fails to address the roots of the problem.
On the other hand, I think that the militancy of the demonstrators and the incendiary words of people like Erica have done much to galvanize this kind of draconian response. They have certainly galvanized me to oppose illegal immigration in a way that I would have never done otherwise. I would suggest that people on Erica's side of this issue take a different tack if they want to see things go differently from the way they may very well be headed.
Namaste,
Steve
Post a Comment