Why Protest?

I wandered over to the SSDP blog and had a look at this entry. It got me thinking.

Great. Students at this particular high school are fighting the proposed mandatory random drug tests. It is very refreshing to see students who, no matter how they feel about a proposed policy, aren’t just sitting back and taking whatever ageist, totalitarian crap is being forced upon them. I wish more students would follow this example.

But who knows? Why don’t students fight for their rights like this in greater numbers? Are they afraid they’d be alone in the battle? Are they trying to preserve their reputation? Do they feel they and their peers, regardless of innocence, deserve to be treated this way by their elders? Are they so convinced they are powerless and should remain that way? Do they actually believe they are inferior people to their elders?

That’s just sad. Those in charge are getting what they want by dumbing down students so much and undermining their ability to change what is around them, now and later. If such apathy towards wrong and prejudicial injustice is taught so much, not directly but ingrained over time and thus much harder to undo, it’s not like these students will change later in life. They’ll live out their lives doing absolutely nothing about unjust laws and unconstitutional rules. You can tell them all you want that these rules are unconstitutional. They’ll just regurgitate the same lame excuses their elders do about why such exceptions are necessary for safety or practicality. They’re convinced of it. They worship that ideal. Anyone who says otherwise is a crazy, uncaring idiot. Because, you know, the more limits you put on people, the more you say they are incapable of being trusted or thinking on their own, the more you care about them.:rolleyes:

But not these students at Chicago’s Francis Parker School’s SSDP chapter! These brave people are doing the right thing. They know they’re being wronged. Regardless of protecting themselves or their reputations, setting aside the nagging voice saying “don’t fight such a ridiculous battle, you’ve got homework to do and college applications to work on…”, they’re taking a stand against forced drug tests. They’re inviting other students around the country to take stands as well. At least they should. Student protests must be more widely publicized, so to inspire others to do the same, as mentioned briefly in the SSDP blog entry.

Because why do these ridiculous laws get suggested and eventually put in place and enforced? They know the people it’ll affect will just lie down and take it. Screw that. Just say no.:cute: