I might be afraid to send my kid to school tomorrow.

[hang a left]

We live in an area that has a large Hispanic population. There was problems at the school at the lunch periods during the last protests. I am just wondering if kids should go to school.

[mike_c]

1. support your brothers and sisters-- keep the kid at home...

...in solidarity.

[hang a left]

4. I am not really sure what the protest is about.

I am against corporations exploiting immigrants. I am not sure I understand what this is all about.

[mike_c]

7. it's about working men and women being afforded respect...

...and dignity, regardless of their immigration status. They are our comrades, no matter what the right wingers and their apologists say. Everyone working for a better life for their families deserves our respect and support, IMO. Best wishes to you and your child, no matter what you decide!

[Cleita]

9. It's about the laws that will criminalize them.

It's about making working at a job without papers a felony. This is what they are protesting. I can't see why any liberal American would approve of creating an underclass anyway. Why not just bring back slavery?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. How old are they?

and can they decide for themselves?

If they are teens, I say leave it up to them.

[hang a left]

pre-teen n/t

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. ah. Are they worried? nt

[hang a left]

8. yeah.

But I think I caused the anxiety. He knew that about half the school wasn't supposed to show up tomorrow. I just told him that if there were any problems to call me on his cell phone and I would come and pick him up. He got out of bed and asked me if anyone was going to "get killed". And before that he said he might want to stay home.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

10. keep them home then

He wouldn't be able to learn anything anyway, too busy worrying.

It is going to be a historic day. You can watch the protests on TV together, and he'll have a story to tell his own kids one day.

[hang a left]

13. Thanks.

You helped me make up my mind.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

14. you're welcome

low stress and peace to you and yours. :hug:

[DesEtoiles]

3. Trust your instincts as a parent. Keep them home -but tell the school why

[roody]

6. The protesting kids should not be at school.

[Solo_in_MD]

11. My wife teaches in CA

And the staff was not given the option of staying home. There even was some hint of requiring documentation for sick days. Previous applied leave days are being honored, but emergent ones were scrutinized. Given the way school are funded, a major boycott will hurt them, so participation is being discouraged during school hours.

I am not sure what her district is going to do about the student absences.

[Indy_Dem_Defender]

12. You wouldn't happen to live in Indianapolis would you?

because one of the High Schools here is having all kinds of trouble the last few days, Threats of guns on monday threats against students for their views on immmigration.

[Brigid]

15. I'm from Indy.

Wow! I hadn't heard that there had been trouble at one of the high schools. Which one?

[Lib Grrrrl]

17. That F*CKING Sucks!!!

Threats against students for their views on immigration!! that major-league fucking sucks, and just makes me feel even stronger than I already did as an anti-immigration sort.

I already don't like it because it pushes down wages...now they want to threaten people who don't support them with GUNS?!?! Bullshit! Now I'm even more anti-immigration, if that was possible.

[emlev]

19. Interesting. We made different assumptions.

I assumed the threats were *against* the students protesting. You apparently assumed the threats were *by* the students protesting. Whichever one of us turns out to be "right," how about if we both take a look at why we assumed what we did?

[Lib Grrrrl]

21. Okay...Let's Do That. Might Be An Interesting Exercise.

I, personally, used to live in Texas, and lived in a predominantly Hispanic section of town. Every day, I feared for my life from gang violence, and five separate times, my car windows got smashed in. I lived there because I could afford nowhere else. But I didn't feel safe.

I, therefore, came to the assumption that it would be the Hispanics that support immigration threatening, with guns, those students who do not support immigration. chalk it up to my own life experience, and my negative life experiences involving Hispanics.

They scare the hell out of me, and that is a fact. I don't know what you think of that, but at least I am able to be honest with myself and everyone else about why my mind worked as it did in this case.

Now I hope you don't hate me, or think I'm a troll. I really am a liberal Democrat, and I hate the hell out of Republicans, especically Bush - read a lot of my other postings and you will see this is true. BUT..that said, I'm still against immigration. I do not want wages forced downward here. More to the point, I think Mexico's government ought to do a lot better by it's own people...so that they have some choice other than to come here to make a better life for themselves.

FUCK YOU, VICENTE FOX!!

[Bridget Burke]

23. Your assumptions are wrong.

We don't even know if the OP is telling the truth.

Do you have any real Liberal ideas?

Now I remember--you are the one who is afraid that formerly illegal immigrants might compete with YOU in the job market. When you decide to get back into the job market, that is. You seem to think that those who were illegal will continue to work for less. I know quite a few legal immigrants & they will not settle for lower pay.

[Lib Grrrrl]

26. How Dare You?

First of all, my experiences are mine. You have no right to say that they didn't happen, because they DID.

Second, I have plenty of liberal ideas. Like for example, allowing gay marriage, and ending workplace discrimination against GLBT people...like myself!

Lastly, with the job market sucking as it does already, and not enough jobs for too many workers...what do you think will happen when you dump another 11 million suddenly LEGAL workers...into the LEGAL JOB MARKET? It will drive down the wages all of us can demand.

And the immigrants WILL take less, because they are used to taking less, they are not accustomed to the lifestyle WE are - and that will mean more born-American workers out on their ass or forced to take less than they are worth.

I refuse to listen to any other point of view on this topic. My mind is made up and that is simply that. I'm against immigration. No one is changing my mind on this point - and I refuse to allow you to attack my liberal credentials, just because I don't fucking march in lockstep with YOU on this issue.

Now, another insinuation out of you that I am anything other than a liberal is going to result in your addition to my Ignore List. You have been advised. Nothing you say will cause me to change my mind...but I'll not tolerate your attacks against my character, either.

P.S. Incidentally, Bridget, no one invited you to stick your two cents in. This was between myself and emlev. No one else. At least I had the guts to stand up for my position and explain it. Whether or not you agree with my position is of no concern to me. But you will NOT attack my character, just because you do not like my position.

Attack my position all you wish, but you will not attack my person or my character...I will NOT stand for it. I don't have to, and I won't.

That said, now, go ahead and attack my POSITION if you wish. But you WILL refrain from attacking the messenger.

[hlthe2b]

16. really? I guess I don't follow....

What exactly are you concerned about? Seems like there are some valuable lessons to be learned with the immigration issue...? :shrug:

[ConsAreLiars]

18. Encourage them to join the demos on behalf of human rights.

They'll learn more there than at any one day in school. Keeping them home and "out" of this event will be denying them a chance to learn and grow.

[JI7]

20. if you are that worried keep them home

my advice would be to keep them home .

[0007]

25. I'd say the same thing. Be safe.

[Nevernose]

22. As a teacher at an 80% Latino school -- WOOHOO! A DAY OFF!

Okay, so it's not an official day off, but with a possible 70-90 percent absentee rate, what's there for me to do? If I dive right in to Act Two of Romeo and Juliet today, I'll just have to reteach it all tomorrow. I won't even have enough kids to act it out. A couple of my classes, in fact, are ELL and are 50% illegal. Usually I'm the only white guy in the room; today I'll be the only guy in the room at all. I've been looking forward to catching up on the paperwork for weeks now.

For the record, I told them all to go to school, that the purpose of today's boycotts were to show white people like me what life would be like w/o any immigrants. If anyone shouldn't show up for school today, it should be the Latino teachers -- that'd make life a REAL pain in the ass for us. But no students? I'm getting paid either way...

Some of them are going to protests. Most are happy to have "a day off" that they can spend watching TV. I told them that if they weren't going to school, thjey should at least use the time to stand up and be counted.

[Bridget Burke]

24. Surely, this is in the news.....

Can you provide a link from your area that "has a large Hispanic population"?