High Schoolers vs. Fascists
by Vivienne Waite, Contributor
It goes without saying that we are all feeling the crashing impact of the giant, suffocating wave of political evils: the Epstein files, the stupidity and shame our current president brings to this country, the cruelty of his henchmen and his fascist crew of violent dunces shooting first and (not) thinking second. As we’re constantly bombarded with all of this horrific information, one is led to wonder about how it’s shaping the developing minds of children and teenagers—and what actions they’re taking in response to this collective trauma.
Walkouts are not a new trend. I participated in a walkout against gun violence in high school. There were walkouts against how my high school’s administration handled sexual assault allegations. It doesn’t come as a shock that middle school and high schoolers whose neighborhoods are being terrorized by ICE are participating in walkouts against the agency. There is something different in these current demonstrations, though: the amount of adults who interact with these walkouts organized by children. There have been several cases where high school students who participated in a walkout have been met with opposition from adults. A recent incident took place in Quakertown, PA, in which police chief Scott McElree put a teenage girl in a chokehold. Quakertown Community High School was walking out against ICE. The students reported they were receiving harassment from counter-protesters yelling at the students from their trucks. There were other reports stating the kids were throwing snowballs and kicking the trucks of their harassers. The students then turned to see a man out of his truck that began to push the students around. This eventually led to McElree putting a 15 year old girl in a chokehold. The teenagers who organized the walkout were placed in police custody, then released. McElree is currently under investigation.
These videos can be very upsetting to watch, but there is a glimmer of hope in these times. Yes, there are angry and bigoted adults that are furious at the fact that they cannot control the youth, and yes, it can be scary to witness these adults use physical force. The less injurious instances of these immature brawls do, however, make me smile at times. Why, you may ask? Because the youth are fighting back.
Perhaps the most talked about incident was the high school student with a buzz cut and glasses who punched a classmate for supporting ICE. The video has been posted and discussed across multiple platforms, including Facebook and TikTok. For those of you who haven't seen the video, a boy at Lake Zurich High School in Lake Zurich, IL filmed himself carrying an “I support ICE” sign around the halls, chanting in support of the violent group while recording his classmates’ reactions. About 10 seconds into the video, the boy with the shaved head and glasses approaches the camera and says, “I am going to punch you.” The ICE supporter replies, “You’ll get in trouble.” The boy replies with a simple “Okay,” then proceeds to punch the ICE supporter. On TikTok, the boy who has now become many users’ profile photos, in a show of their support.
The ICE supporter’s “You’ll get in trouble” is particularly fascinating. He chose a phrase that translates to: “The system we currently have in place will protect me.” At this point in history, ICE is not universally seen as a bigoted, shameful, sickening group our government is encouraging and supporting and funding. Still, this young man looked this ICE supporter in the face, and at that moment, didn’t consider how the system would reprimand him. He only knew he couldn’t let such hate be thrown around unpunished. If the current system doesn't see the acts of ICE as monstrous, if our current government will protect their abominable behavior and those who support it, to hell with them. The kids are fighting back against bigotry.
Perhaps punching ragebaiting ICE supporters is not the best course of action. But it’s still heartening to see that the morals are there. Young people’s passion to fight against the disgusting acts we see on the streets of America is present. There is a demonstrated desire to get out of the current state, which leads me to believe that maybe our future will be okay.
Sources
https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/quakertown-high-school-protest-ice/?intcid=CNR-02-0623
