The attack on students skipping school to engage in political activism, needs to Stop. Democratic principals have never occurred with youth behind desks. From the Popular movement to the Civil Rights movement, youth have always maintained an active role in standing against injustices. And our duty as responsible adults in their lives, is to stand beside them, or at least get out of the way, before casting another stone.

It is a gross day in the history of America when an eighth grader decides to shoot him self in the head after participating in a student walkout, to protest the recent anti-immigrant legislature. Anthony Soltero an organizer of his school’s walkout, shot himself after his vice-principal at the De Anza Middle School threatened Soltero with a three year prison term, forbid him to participate in graduation ceremonies, and threatened his mother with fines for Anthony’s truancy and involvement in the protest (First Casualty of Student Walk Outs! http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/04/1813993.php)

This is a complete Outrage. Soltero should have been awarded along with the thousands of other students for their civic duty of participating in a protest. This is not just defiant act of students in the face of school administration. These rallies began in response to legislature H.R. 4437, which would penalize 11 million illegal immigrants as felons and allow the building of a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border. And a piece of legislature such as this would fragmentize millions of families and strip away democratic values.

It is inexcusable to place such irrational consequences on a student’s behavior that is just and humane for the future of our country. As parents, teachers, school officials, and students, we can no longer tolerate the use of strict disciplinary measures thrown in the face of a young people making a conscious choice to skip school, in order to attend political demonstrations against inequalities. Speaking out to injustices is a birth right, and just for the record; there is no mention of the word “school” in the U.S. Constitution.

And the punishments go beyond the schools, as like any truancy case the police are involved to scare kids back into the classroom.

In California last March during the student walkout about 50 students were corralled by police officers in Los Angeles and cited. And in the San Pedro area, a group of 200 skipped school after being threatened with disciplinary consequences.

“In the city of Carson, California authorities with batons and helmets temporarily ringed dozens of youngsters in front of a high school before allowing them to march,” according to CBS news http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/28/national/main1447009.shtml.

Teachers and administrators of these schools should be proud at such a walk out, This is a clear sign that the common vision for equal rights for all different ethnicities, has not faded from young minds. Skipping school to exercise freedom of speech is an educated choice in a participatory democracy. And they should all receive straight “A’s” in their History class, not punishment for participating in democracy.

http://riseoutcenter.wordpress.com/