by Getting Educated
Friday, May. 27, 2005 at 4:45 PM
Thousands of teachers, school employees, and other citizens concerned about cuts to education held a mass rally in Pershing Square yesterday to demand that funding stolen from schools by Governor Schwarzenegger be restored immediately.
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Above: Thousands of Unionists and others rally against Schwarzenegger's attacks upon education and labor.
Schwarzenegger is on the run as thousands of angry people protest his policies favoring corporations and the wealthy while shafting most citizens. An extraordinary groundswell of resistance is occurring as Schwarzenegger engages in a desperate attempt to shore up support by appealing to the neo-fascist right, as epitomized by his recent statements of support for anti-immigrant vigilantes.
All to no avail, as his numbers continue to dive in polls and previously-mesmerized Californians continue to wake up and fight back.
His latest move is to support several ballot measures that wiould deprive unions, the largest organized force composed of ordinary citizens, of their right to expend funds on campaigns intended to influence legislative and electoral struggles. Arnold apparently thinks that his own True Lies should be able to monopolize the airwaves with no response from those he is attacking.
Simultaneously, he is attempting to pass a proposition making teachers' salaries dependent upon performance on standardized tests, a move that would penalize teachers who have chosen to serve the disadvantaged, creating even more inequity as money shifts even more toward wealthier districts, and teachers flee the profession for more rewarding employment, while those remaining are forced to "teach to the test," a sure recipe for destroying pedagogy and dumbing down the entire teaching profession.
At this event, I saw college professors, grade school teachers, school service workers, students and other concerned citizens out together and united around their common goal of defending education. And, I saw people of all races and nationalities coming together as well in defense of their rights. This is not just a protest, but a very hopeful MOVEMENT that is coming together.
In Los Angeles, this new movement is threatening to dovetail with the African-American / Latino / Liberal / Labor alliance that recently swept Antonio Villaraigosa into the mayor's office. In fact, members of ACORN, the community organization / network founded by legendary organizer Anthony Thigpenn, who put together the African-American / Latino alliance that helped to power Villaraigosa's campaign, were quite prominent and visible at this event.
We are getting stronger, we are getting smarter, we are getting TOGETHER, and we are getting IT TOGETHER, and through our actions we are EDUCATING the people of this state to think for themselves. Education is the foundation of democracy, and an educated people will be the downfall of the California's wannabe ubermensch, Schwarzenegger, and his indecent ballot propositions.
