Student protesters: democracy in motion
John Florez
Coal miners used to take canaries into the mines to warn them of any dangerous gases; and so it is when we see students protesting injustices. It portends something is wrong in our society.
We are now seeing Latino student demonstrations springing up nationwide and in some Salt Lake schools, protesting our broken immigration laws. They are a spontaneous outpouring of pent-up resentment over the discrimination they have seen their parents suffer for being in this country illegally.
Many see their parents mistreated, abused, relegated to menial jobs and cheated out of wages, and they have a tough time understanding why their loved ones must endure indignities no human should. The flash point that made the students take to the streets was hearing Washington politicians wanting to pass laws that labeled them as felons. That did it.
"Ya basta" (enough) was the student cry of the civil rights movement of the '60s. It was an outburst of anger that began brewing in the '50s. At that time, the nation saw resentment and anger building over poor social conditions and overt discrimination against minorities. The young people took to the streets to protest the years of injustices, which resulted in urban racial riots, boycotts, marches and burning of our cities. They, too, were sparked by thoughtless actions of those in power.
It was the urban riots of the '60s that saw John W. Gardner bring together the leaders from all segments of our nation — unions, civil rights, business and churches to form the Urban Coalition. It was founded on the premise that the problems of our cities were too big and complex to be solved by government alone. The leadership of the diverse segments of the community had to work together to help solve them. We need those leaders now.
Our nation is polarized because politicians have been grossly negligent in seeing that our immigration policies were responsive to the problems our nation faces — threats to our safety, security and economic interests. They have been more concerned about keeping their campaign contributors happy than looking after the nation's interests.
The unwillingness of politicians to act for the public good has left our nation vulnerable and our people fearful about the future. It challenges our nation's fundamental values of fairness, equality and opportunity.
One of my greatest fears is that our national leaders will not come up with policies that protect our nation while maintaining our common values. If so, we may be in for a long hot summer.
We have our youths to thank for giving us a refresher course in how democracy should work when it needs a kick in the pants. They are the canaries, and we need to heed their warnings if we are to survive as a nation that believes in the dignity of every individual.
Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations, served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-mail: ">jdflorez@comcast.net
You can be the first to comment on this story.