Teachers, Children, ICE, Evil

I had lunch with my one of my very favorite pickle ball friends, but don’t tell her, it will just go to her head. She’s a very good PB player and during open play, we very rarely lose. I told her whenever she plays with me she gets coupons for elderly dollars which she can use at any store. That’s not really true, but so far she has not asked.

We also bonded because she had a very severe kidney issue some years ago and spent considerable time in the hospital. She is now on maintenance. Though our kidney issues are much different, both are serious and again, we bonded over this.

She is also an elementary teaching in Minneapolis. We went to lunch recently and we talked about what it was like when ICE was terrorizing all of Minnesota. [ICE still is for that matter, but not at the same degree.]. I asked her what it was like teaching little people during this difficult time.

First she told me that earlier that year her school was threatened by a man [white man, no surprise] who said he was go to shoot people in the school. So while teachers taught, the school was on lock-down and surrounded by SWAT teams as the police tracked down the man who was finally arrested. So she and all the teachers had experience with stressful possibility life threatening situations.

When ICE attacked Minnesota along with many other states, schools and children were some of the recipients of this attack. Some children watched their parents arrested and sent to deportation centers. Others were arrested and sent to deportation centers themselves. As of August 24th, at least 24 individuals died in ICE custody. Five were children. Last year there were a total of 33 deaths in ICE custody. Hispanic children in schools in Minnesota and throughout the country know they are not safe in school or any place for that matter. Did not matter if they are their parents were legal or not.

[Note: About 40% of those arrested had no criminal record. Of the remaining, the vast majority were not convicted of a crime. Only a few, 5% or less had been convicted of a felony.]

My friend told here young students that her classroom was a safe place. It was a place to learn and have fun learning. My friend is amazing and again I suspect this true for a majority of teachers. She was thrust into very difficult situation which was placed upon her from outside forces. She fought back by creating a safe healthy space for little people. She fought back by teaching her curriculum. Finally, she fought back by teaching from a place of love and empathy.

While she and other teachers provided a safe and positive learning place for children, parents and other neighbors circled the school with whistles which they blew if ICE approached. They were also heroes.

Whose responsible? Well that’s easy. Republicans. Every Republican in Minnesota who voted for Trump is partially responsible for the ICE attacks on children. They are also partially responsible for the murders of two Minnesotans who were citizens. Minnesotans who voted for Trump should own this.

The economic cost of ICE to the Twin Cities was over $700 Million dollars, and frankly I think the Republican party should reimburse the Twin Cities for all the economic loss sustained by the Cities.

Given the economic cost, chaos, and trauma that Trump and MEGA has put on the people of Minnesota and throughout the US, I wonder why any person, especially in Minnesota me would vote for Republican at any level in the upcoming election. Until the Republican party changes its leadership at all levels and returns to its foundation of being the party of Lincoln and Eisenhower, no one should vote Republican.

What you should do is support your local public school teachers. As a group, they are under paid, over-worked and under appreciated. Yet, they show up every year, often with limited resources and strive to teach our children of all ages to the best of their ability. And this past year, many teachers life my friend became super-heroes.

The future belongs to the best educated and we as a country are falling behind. Its not teachers fault, it is Republicans fault. They have cut funding for education for years. Whenever you get a chance, thank teachers and support them.