By BRUCE WARREN
Los Alamos

I joined the protest march staged by Los Alamos High School students on Jan. 30 and was very impressed. The march was well organized by students, and was orderly and peaceful. All of the student speeches were excellent: Well thought out, to the point, well delivered and passionate. Congratulations to all the students who worked on and attended the event.

However, I was disappointed in the Los Alamos Schools response to the event (link). It is true that students have a responsibility to attend classes. It is also true that they have a wider civic responsibility to be involved in public affairs. Rather than disavowing themselves and threatening students with “consequences”, the school administration could have called this a field trip.

I think the experience had far more educational value to the students than a couple of hours of Friday afternoon classes. I understand that had the school done so they would be open to charges of political favoritism, but the truth is that the events in this country have moved far beyond politics and into criminal abuse of human rights and freedoms. I think that anyone – regardless of political affiliation – with a shred of morals, ethics or care about their fellow human beings and a factual knowledge of current events (rather than the lies of the current national administration), should see that what is happening is criminal and totally against the principles this country was founded on.

ICE and the Border Patrol call themselves “law enforcement agencies” and say they are just looking for criminals. If that were really true, then they would be doing the investigation that any real law enforcement agency would do, discover actual criminals, do targeted arrests, and give the detainees their due process rights to a trial and legal representation. Instead ICE and BP are doing massive sweeps, brutally rounding up people based on their skin color or accent or anyone peacefully criticizing their methods. This approach has led to the of detainment of huge numbers of innocent people, including immigrants with valid papers for being in the country, American citizens, journalists and peaceful protesters. Most of these “arrests” are for people who have done nothing illegal and for which ICE/BP know they can’t get convictions in the courts, but whom they are simply trying to intimidate and brutalize.

The fact is that ICE has found a lot of criminals. They have also hired them, given them uniforms, masks, riot gear and weapons. These recruits have then been told by no less than the Vice President of the United States of America that they can do whatever they want without any consequences. Not surprisingly this has led to brutality, abuses of basic rights and freedoms, incarceration of innocent people in concentration camps with inhuman conditions, ripping children from their families, and now cold-blooded executions in broad daylight on the streets in front of countless witnesses taking videos.

Before this student march, I was despairing for this country, watching it sink into despotism and human rights nightmares. Having seen these well-informed students who not only have seen the wrongs occurring, but are also willing to speak up, I am seeing a glimmer of hope for the future of America.

Just a note to those who were trying to harass the student protesters with loud mufflers and diesel smoke: You may think you are cool, but if you only knew how ridiculous you look. If you don’t like what the demonstrators are saying, then organize your own march and make your own signs. This is supposed to be, after all, a free country where anyone can express themselves without fear of harassment. Please give everyone the respect you would like yourself, regardless of their opinions.