Approximately 20 Park High School students were ticketed Friday for walking out of class in protest of Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to strip collective-bargaining rights from public employees, including teachers.
A Park staff member said they were told this morning that students may walk out. Staff and school police officers were told to let them go without incident. However, when only about 20 students walked out, police gave them a truancy ticket for $64.
Teachers and students around the state are fighting a Walker proposal that would prevent public employees from negotiating for benefits such as pensions and health insurance. The loss of collective-bargaining rights would come on top of steep pay and benefit cuts included in the governor's "budget repair bill."
The state is facing a $3.6 billion budget deficit this year. Some claim instituting Walker's plan will actually exasperate the problem by cutting state income tax revenue (less money for employees means they owe fewer taxes). It also cuts into families' purchasing power, which means fewer dollars collected in sales taxes and less money spent at local businesses.
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Yes... but the real question is can they read the issued ticket?
ReplyDeleteIf Walker has his way, no one is going to be able to read in Wisconsin. He is barely educated, so why would he think anyone else needs to be?
ReplyDeleteKids probably have no idea what this issue is about what they heard is "free day off school".
ReplyDeleteGood to see young people standing up for what they believe. That's a considerable amount of education for them on this day.
ReplyDeleteUs 'kids' no whats going on! You 'adults' don't give us enough credit on that. If this goes threw it can affect us & some of our families majorly and everyone else in Wisconsin. Even us 'kids' who have jobs.
ReplyDeleteIt's OK if all of you do it, but wrong if only 20 of you do it.
ReplyDeleteYou "kids" need to go back to English class.
ReplyDeleteI guess all the people who are against this bill have no courage to show up for their jobs, whether they be students who skip school (yes, when you are underage your "job" is to go to school), teachers who "call in sick" or state senators who flee the state rather than show up for a vote. There is no magic wand that will solve all of Wisconsin's problems as long as no one shows up. It's time for everyone to face reality: there is no more money and this bill will help allieviate a bad economy. Those of you who walked out or failed to show up should be punished and, above all, should be thoroghly ashamed of themselves.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we should all be careful when we're coming to conclusions about people we have not met. I know that at least one of the students ticketed understands and cares very deeply about the issues at the heart of this bill -- and she is not alone. True, they should not have left school, but these students who were rounded up by police and brought back in squad cars, relieved of their protest signs, and ticketed went on to organize another rally for later in that day.
ReplyDeleteWhat did they learn from the experience? They did not come to the conclusion that it was wrong to take a stand; they decided that they ought to be more careful about their methods. It was quite a day for lessons.
The second rally, organized over lunch hours and staged in front of the statue of Joan of Arc by the main office, had a message. One student said the following:
ReplyDelete"Students of Park, Joan of Arc, behind us, was a symbol of bravery and freedom. You who are here now are the very bravest students that I, and Park, have ever seen. You all stand here for your rights. You stand here now to guard against the teachers' unjust treatment. We stand against a tyrant, and we cannot be stopped! Looking at all of you, I see a strong future for Wisconsin, for YOU are the future! But we cannot have a good, strong future without our education, and that is what our governor, right now, is trying to take away from us! I commend you all. You are strong and courageous and brave, and you know that you want a good future for yourselves. These are our rights, just as they are the rights of our educators. One day, we will be the leaders and the teacher. Standing up for justice for them is standing up for ourselves, so show Scott Walker your very best! Thank you, all."
Now, whether you agree with this student or not, perhaps some respect should be given to a 13-year-old girl who is willing to protest, get rounded up by police, and then almost immediately work on another rally and speak to a crowd of people who are all older. It may be that some of these kids actually have ideas worth considering, and she does have a point... Teenagers have just cause to wonder whether they will have collective bargaining rights when they enter the workforce. Deals can be struck and budgets can be balanced without undoing the unions, but, if we don't listen to the kids now, they might not have a voice left when it's their turn to teach.
At any rate, rather than anonymously insulting and villifying one another, let's try to consider the possibility that there are simply differing points of view. Perhaps we could actually make some progress if we do what this student suggests and all show our Best.
exacerbate
ReplyDeleteIt looks like some young adults are getting an education. Not all that the government does will make them happy and I admire the courage and resolve that they show at this time in thier young lives. I would be very proud if this were my child.
ReplyDeleteThe cops should be ashamed of themselves. The students are practicing their civil rights and working to help others.
ReplyDeleteIf it would have been 200 I guess it would have been alright but only 20, give them tickets. That is chicken poop.
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