High School Students Look at our World

Plus, the latest R scores

A group of students at Hamilton High in Los Angeles have agreed to explain what they most worry about in this world that we, of the older generations, have made for them. They are amazingly polite considering the complete shambles we’ve made of the planet.

Not only that, but the educational system imposed upon them is a mess. It may be somewhat less authoritarian than a century ago, but there is still a disclipinary atmosphere, and now it’s been merged with the criminal justice system.

21st Century technology is revolutionizing so many aspects of our lives, except for education. So why do our classrooms look like museums from the 19th Century? Why is it that we force students, who will soon be running this world, into modified prisons, while we lavish our wealth on the military and the police.

If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.
–Philosopher of Education John Dewey

We adults don’t often get to find out what high school students, the generation of the future, is thinking. That’s why The Left Coast is so grateful to these students’ teacher, Ms. Greta Cobar, and to their parents, for allowing us to read these comments. The words, below, belong to the students.
–Jim Smith, Editor

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Racism

By Alyzza Loza

The issue of racism is known very well by name, but very different by the way people see it. For people to understand racism they need to truly feel what others go through.

Racism has many different forms and can be seen in many different ways. I think racism is a very important topic because people go through this everyday and it's not okay.

The color of someone's skin should not change the way they are treated, it’s unfair. People should not be ashamed about the color of their skin. They should be proud of their culture. That's what I think of Racism.

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Immigration

By Ramon Munoz

There are a lot of social issues going on in the world right now. One of the biggest social issues right now is immigration. When kids get deported back to their native country, they put them in cages in the detention centers and separate them from their families.

In my opinion, that it is inhumane because kids aren’t supposed to be in cages, it is unsanitary. Some kids are also being molested and they can’t do anything about it because some kids can’t defend themselves and they’re also very young. When kids get put in cages they treat them like animals and they don’t give them any supplies. For example, they don’t give them blankets and they also don’t give them a pillow or something they can use to sleep with.

When the kids are in the detention center they also don’t give them meals at times, and some kids even starve to sleep. Some kids even get separated from their family just because they’re trying to live a better life. In my opinion this is a very unprofessional and inhumane way to keep the children in these centers.

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Defund and Reform the Police, Fund and Reform Our Schools

By Sophia Terry

In this time of civil unrest, I completely agree that defunding the police is necessary. Especially when it is so clear how much the school system is in need of reform. Take the money from the police, who beat down people who either don’t deserve it, or need help instead of violence.

Instead use that money to pay our teachers more, commit to comprehensive sex education, commit to teaching financial literacy, create programs to help teens instead of harshly punishing them for drug use, put more effort into creating history curriculums that aren’t white washed and paint a heteronormative view of the world, give schools more money and space to reduce class sizes.

There is so much missing from our schools today that could improve how my generation and the following generations grow up. Prioritizing education over policing means prioritizing the growth of communities instead of silencing them.

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Unemployment 

By Gabriel Fernandez

Unemployment is a very serious topic at the moment because a lot of people have been getting fired and therefore not being able to pay bills and rent. People have been getting fired from their jobs without a second plan or another way of making money.

We are at hard times at the moment with everyone looking for jobs or else they will get kicked out. They are also having trouble supporting their families because they have trouble getting food for them or even a roof.

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Quarantine

By Yesenia Lopez

It was only a few months ago that we were able to go outside, interact with other people and just be able to go and do normal things. I remember our last day at school and when I said goodbye to my friends because I didn’t know when I was going to see them again.

It’s almost been 6 months since we have been quarantined, more and more people are getting sick. At first quarantine was nice, we got to stay home, we didn’t have to wake up early, and we got more free time to do things we normally didn’t have time for. It was fun at first, as the time went by it got frustrating and it felt like we were trapped or caged and we couldn’t get out.

The worst thing about this pandemic is we can’t visit our family, especially family members that have health problems and we have to stay away in order to protect them. I think that if everyone took this pandemic seriously and took all the precautions we wouldn’t have so many cases and deaths.

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Black lives or blue lives?

By Mable Ree McCoy

What matters more? Black lives or blue lives? In my opinion, Black lives matter. I think that Black lives matter, because we need to put an end to state-sanctioned violence and systemic racism.

The police were unnecessarily brutal towards George Floyd, as shown in police footage. He was very clearly cooperating with police and not resisting, and even cried to the officers that he couldn’t breathe more than twenty times. Blue lives do not matter in the context of an argument against Black lives matter. Being a police officer is a choice, whereas being Black isn’t.

Systemic racism needs to be dismantled, and it’s not just in the police department. Systemic racism also stops people of color from acquiring loans based on where they live, which is predominantly in Black neighborhoods. This system is both racist and oppressive, and an insult to American freedom.

In the case of Breonna Taylor, it an absolute failure for the police and shows how incompetent the police department can be. Everything, even leading up to the raid, was a complete catastrophe. First, the on-sight ambulance was sent away before the raid started, against standard procedures.

Secondly, they failed to knock and announce themselves. Third of all, the use of excessive force. Reportedly one officer blindly shot 10 times into her apartment. Lastly, the police didn’t provide sufficient medical assistance for Breonna Taylor. You may or may not have heard of “A.C.A.B,” which stands for “All cops are bastards”. But it does not necessarily mean that ALL cops are bastards, it just means they’re institutionally trapped in a system that is inherently oppressive. “All men are created equal” was the foundation of America, yet we live in a racist and oppressive system.

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The Pandemic Effect

By Camille Medina

The Covid-19 pandemic is killing over half a million people world-wide. Over 200,000 people have died from this virus in the US, let alone the 25.8 million that have been contaminated. This is causing individuals to go into fight, flight, or freeze mode. This affects us because we’re experiencing something that we have no control over. All of these people are dying world-wide, and we have no control over what’s going to happen.

We are forced to stay in our homes until further notice, and don’t know when we’re going to get out. This already induces anxiety, but on top of that, people are losing jobs and getting anxiety because they might lose their homes. This is causing trauma towards all of us and impacting our central nervous system.

It’s traumatizing to feel like you might become homeless with your family, or not have enough food to eat. People’s emotional well-being is also being affected by staying home all day. Especially for those who already suffer from mental health disorders such as anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, etc. Yes, there is a pandemic occurring, but what about when it’s over?

What’s gonna happen to the world when everyone is dealing with their own trauma?

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Here are the latest COVID-19 R scores:

These are up-to-date values for Rt, a key measure of how fast the virus is growing. It’s the average number of people who become infected by an infectious person. If Rt is above 1.0, the virus will spread quickly. When Rt is below 1.0, the virus will stop spreading. -Rt.live

The latest R scores (Oct. 20) are the worst ever in a number of states. This should show up in an increase in the number of hospital admissions and deaths. Make no mistake, the Pandemic is raging. Latest scores are in the left column.

Practice good hygiene as recommended by the CDC: wash your hands often; Avoid close contact; Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others; Cover coughs and sneezes; Clean and disinfect; Monitor Your Health Daily. For more details, visit the CDC website.