No one knows exactly how it started: fliers, text messages, MySpace bulletins and one code phrase—HR 4437—circulated throughout schools and cyberspaces over the course of a few days. But the massive student walkouts that occurred between March 24 and 30 were among the largest in California’s history. Adults observing 40,000 students in Southern California spilling into the streets expressed skepticism. “These… return to article
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Reader Comments (4)Page 1 of 1 pagesMay 1st there will be walkouts everywhere. People will skip work school and anything else. They wont do shopping from what I’ve heard either, and I’m gona join them. How about you?
Posted by Vanella on Apr 23, 2006 at 3:15 AM Public holiday here in frogland, but we’re going to USE it , too !
It’ll make a change from taking a day off work or striking.
Same problems as you guys, same globalization , rightwing politics, and same opposition to them.
Posted by frog on Apr 24, 2006 at 2:03 AM “Adults observing 40,000 students in Southern California spilling into the streets expressed skepticism. “These kids don’t know anything,” NPR’s Juan Williams told Bill O’Reilly on a March 29 episode of “The O’Reilly Factor.” Other commentators dismissed their actions as truancy.”
After a couple of decades working with youth, following years in the private business sector dealing only with adults, I say with confidence that the habitual underestimation of young adults’ grasp of complex issues, moral fiber, and perseverence at important tasks is as prejudicial as it is frequent. There is no counting the number of adults I’ve worked with (in business and in schooling) who revealed themselves to at least as unreliable, as much prone to narcissistic self-centeredness, and just as distractible by “hormones” as teens. We can debate the facets of the immigration issue, but I admit to feeling a bit of pride in the kids.
Hell, they could have been cutting class to go get high. And though I was guilty of that myself on occasion, back in the day, the kids described in the article are more admirable by far in terms of their motivations.
“‘I don’t think the moment has passed,’ says Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. ‘I think these young people are undergoing a transformation.’ ... the mayor told students that he supported their efforts, but stressed that it was equally important that they succeed in school. ‘We can’t have you fail,’ he said to a group of student leaders he met with after the rally in front of City Hall.”
Nothing to do with immigration, Mr. Mayor, but it’s the schools that are doing the failing. The kids learned more of value than they would have in their Law & Government classes. Or more precisely, the practicum of the marches will have substantiated the vocab salad they’d have had to partake of in those classes.
Posted by Kuya on Apr 25, 2006 at 5:42 AM Please visit SourceCode - Free Speech TV’s weekly news magazine.
This week, Daffodil Altan’s video report on the student protest.sourcecode.freespeech.org
Thanks!
Posted by archivegrl on May 1, 2006 at 3:33 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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