March 4th is the National Day of Action to Defend Education. There will be also be protests globally to challenge the increasing privatization of schools, funding cuts, etc.
Lucha stands in solidarity with the protesters opposing policies and budget cuts that weaken the already disquieting reality of our of our public education system. It has long been considered a fundamental human right to have free access to a quality education in the United States, and the decaying of public education in America and all over the world is an unjust infringement on that right. In an economic climate where governments have been actively cutting social programs,the education system is extremely vulnerable to losing indispensable resources. Action is necessary now.
A free and accessible education is a value that goes back towards the Declaration of Independence, which stated equality was a fundamental principle of the founding of this country. Unfortunately, those tenets of freedom and equality have been reduced to lip service in a country that seems more interested in war, profit, individualism, and greed. For these reasons the protests against budget cuts in education are just and necessary.
In states across America budget cuts have resulted in exorbitant tuition increases, decreased financial aid, and limited course availability in public universities, and to a lesser extent even private universities. K-12 education is arguably even more vulnerable, with teacher lay-offs that only increase class size and more budget cuts that result in fewer services for child care, library access, computer labs, student centers, public transportation for students, and much more. These protesters are speaking out while the media and politicians focus on “more important” matters, who consistently neglect impoverished communities.
Moreover, as students it is our duty to speak out against these attacks on our right to a decent education, and the refusal to speak out ultimately is little better than complicity. We cannot wait for the media and politicians to address education. These brave protesters are taking the lead. Lucha strongly supports these efforts, and we encourage other organizations to do the same.
Below is more info on the New York City planning committee.
New York City
NYC March 4th Planning Committee
Website: http://march4ny.wordpress.com/
Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/march-4-education-ny?hl=en
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=244000051960&ref=ts
Email: March4NY@gmail.com
2 Comments
@Anonymous You decry “greed” as one of the negative attributes of our society. So what’s greedier than believing you’re entitled to someone else paying for YOUR education all the way through graduate school??
This is another lunatic, leftist/Progressive attempt to recreate the failures of Stalin, Mao, Castor and a long list of socialist failures. A little less time spent protesting, and a little more time spent studying history would serve you well.
@Anonymous videos from nyc walkouts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiYtc7yO_PU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdibnHfmBmE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLO1me4xGx0