ChrisCaesar
December 26th, 2001, 08:09 AM
Hello All.
I came upon this site today, and I am legitimately surprised at how well organized and active it is.
However, I am here to offer another solution to youth rights. My name is Chris Caesar, and I have, along with a few other people, started SAFE: Student Advocates for Freedom and Equality. Our website is accessible through www.geocities.com/student_advocates
We are like NYRA in many ways: we advocate student suffrage, abolishment of the drinking age, etc., but our means to those ends differ. In SAFE, we use the 'democratic' process whenever we can, but as I'm sure you'll all understand, this system can not be as fair as some.
We believe in direct action as a means to change: protest, write-ins, call-ins, etc.
Historian Howard Zinn, one of my personal heroes, argues that the fight for change is almost never won in Washington in his award winning “A People’s History of the United States”. It is won on streets, with direct action. Look at the abolitionists of the 19th century, the worker's strikes of the early 20th century, the women voters all through the 1850s-1920s, the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement of the 1960s and 1970s. History books portray these social movements as insignificant for the most part, and show the leaders of the countries as the heroes, when anything of that sort is not the case.
For true social change, we must use the democratic process, the ACLU, the law, the system against them. However, when this fails us, as it can, we must take to the streets and have our voices be heard.
Our right to peacefully protest something through dress is guaranteed through the Tinker decision. We must utilize this decision in our schools to fight for change, and our first amendment right to assemble to fight for change in the world.
Together, we can win rights for youth, in the same fashion as previous movements for blacks, women, labor, our troops, etc.
We started SAFE in September. Since then, we have had three other chapters begin in other states, and interests in starting chapters expressed in many other places. There is no time like the present: Katie Sierra can't be against the war or our government, some kids can't leave their homes past 10 o clock at night, face higher levels of punishment for crimes then their adult counterparts, etc. We must fight now, and must never stop fighting.
Join SAFE. Start a Chapter. Start a fight for rights. Win the Fight.
Youth Solidarity
The website, again, is www.geocities.com/student_advocates
Even if you aren't interested in starting a chapter, check us out, and discuss on our message boards. Thanks a lot for reading.
------------------
Chris Caesar
SAFE@end-war.com
www.geocities.com/student_advocates
AIM Name: TheSobrietysRule
I came upon this site today, and I am legitimately surprised at how well organized and active it is.
However, I am here to offer another solution to youth rights. My name is Chris Caesar, and I have, along with a few other people, started SAFE: Student Advocates for Freedom and Equality. Our website is accessible through www.geocities.com/student_advocates
We are like NYRA in many ways: we advocate student suffrage, abolishment of the drinking age, etc., but our means to those ends differ. In SAFE, we use the 'democratic' process whenever we can, but as I'm sure you'll all understand, this system can not be as fair as some.
We believe in direct action as a means to change: protest, write-ins, call-ins, etc.
Historian Howard Zinn, one of my personal heroes, argues that the fight for change is almost never won in Washington in his award winning “A People’s History of the United States”. It is won on streets, with direct action. Look at the abolitionists of the 19th century, the worker's strikes of the early 20th century, the women voters all through the 1850s-1920s, the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement of the 1960s and 1970s. History books portray these social movements as insignificant for the most part, and show the leaders of the countries as the heroes, when anything of that sort is not the case.
For true social change, we must use the democratic process, the ACLU, the law, the system against them. However, when this fails us, as it can, we must take to the streets and have our voices be heard.
Our right to peacefully protest something through dress is guaranteed through the Tinker decision. We must utilize this decision in our schools to fight for change, and our first amendment right to assemble to fight for change in the world.
Together, we can win rights for youth, in the same fashion as previous movements for blacks, women, labor, our troops, etc.
We started SAFE in September. Since then, we have had three other chapters begin in other states, and interests in starting chapters expressed in many other places. There is no time like the present: Katie Sierra can't be against the war or our government, some kids can't leave their homes past 10 o clock at night, face higher levels of punishment for crimes then their adult counterparts, etc. We must fight now, and must never stop fighting.
Join SAFE. Start a Chapter. Start a fight for rights. Win the Fight.
Youth Solidarity
The website, again, is www.geocities.com/student_advocates
Even if you aren't interested in starting a chapter, check us out, and discuss on our message boards. Thanks a lot for reading.
------------------
Chris Caesar
SAFE@end-war.com
www.geocities.com/student_advocates
AIM Name: TheSobrietysRule