Students at high schools throughout the region responded to
federal legislation to toughen immigration laws in a variety of
ways last week, and in the process, we all learned some valuable
lessons.
Students at high schools throughout the region responded to federal legislation to toughen immigration laws in a variety of ways last week, and in the process, we all learned some valuable lessons.
We have always been ardent supporters of public education, the most valuable institution available to all Americans. But we have seldom been as impressed with local schools as we were last week. When hundreds of students walked out of class in protest, teachers and staff stepped in, and used the protest as an opportunity to teach students about civil disobedience. In some cases, guest speakers were summoned from off campus to give students a more complete perspective. Teachers with immigrant backgrounds talked of their experiences.
The students who took advantage of the opportunity presented them are incalculably richer for it. Those who chose to remain out of class but on campus conducted the kind of spirited, informed discussion that gives us great hope for their future.
The former group stands in marked contrast to the bands of students who left school in some of our communities. Many of those students, when asked what they were protesting, showed little grasp of the issues. Even the best informed of them would be hard-pressed to explain how marching on the streets of Hollister or Morgan Hill will alter the course of federal legislation. While the interest of young people in public policy is refreshing, those who walked off campus, some carrying placards rife with misspellings, need to re-examine their priorities. Their time and energy would have been better spent studying the issue, and writing to their representatives.
We are further impressed with the reaction by local law enforcement agencies. As the number of marchers in Hollister swelled, a string of patrol cars accompanied them, providing traffic control, keeping the youthful marchers out of harm’s way, and helping to ensure that the protest remained peaceful. Police, sheriff’s deputies and Highway Patrolmen acted with restraint and professionalism.
