Texting and Facebook were the way that students learned that Jesus "Chuy" Saldaña was not going to be driving their buses any longer, some learned within hours of the dismissal by the El Tejon Unified School District administrator. Students used the same means to coordinate the student demonstrations at El Tejon School and Frazier Mountain High School on Thursday, Jan. 27. Above, an estimated 100-200 students demonstrated at FMHS; 176 signed a petition; 134 stayed out for more than first period, Superintendent Katie Kleier said. Some stayed out the full day, sitting in protest at the flagpole. [Sturdevant photo]
February 10, 2011
Dear Students of the Mountain:
This is an open letter to the students who summoned up the courage to protest a perceived injustice. You are in a noble tradition of non-violent protest. You did not return evil for evil or disrespect when disrespected.
I admire you for asking for justice when the system was unable to provide it and returning good for evil and respect for disrespect.
The administrators may have made a few mistakes in handling Chuy’s case and in dealing with your protests.
As with your parents and yourselves, you can ultimately come to a place of forgiveness without giving up or holding yourself and others accountable.
You courageous gals and guys are the hope of the future of this country. You can become competent administrators, elected board members, members of congress and yes, even judges who dispense justice. Please don’t let human frailties cause you to become cynical or jaded and drop out of being a responsible citizen who will make a difference.
There are lessons to be learned through this sad ordeal: 1) There are two sides to every story; and 2) Don’t be defensive when someone protests an injustice you may be associated with.
If you made a mistake, admit it. Janet Reno took responsibility for the FBI’s fiasco at Waco, Texas. The nation appreciated that finally someone in government had the spine to take responsibility for a terrible unnecessary loss of life.
3) When you make a mistake, don’t look for someone else to blame. Stand up, own up and take responsibility. That way, others won’t be punished for your mistake.
Other ways to protest (even to the newspaper) are: writing poems, plays, essays; making art, posters, sculptures, songs and holding silent vigils in public places (read about Gandhi, King and Havel).
Don’t stop rocking the boat. If we’re going to keep the boat from sinking, somebody has to rock it and try to plug the leaks.
Truth has fallen on hard times in our county. Keep on relentlessly seeking truth from others, demanding it from yourself, telling it and being the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
I suggest that you secure back issues of The Mountain Enterprise that document the many sad episodes in the school district’s history. They may come in handy for college applications, pictures, writing a book about trying to get an education in America, a movie or a play.
Many great improvements in the world came about because young people learned how to put their steam under a boiler and bring about thoughtful change.
Jim Hempler
Lake of the Woods
This is part of the February 18, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.
