Dear Editor,
With the Day of Silence coming up in just a couple months I
figured I would write in and give my two cents. Because teachers
obviously have the fundamental right to not teach for a day so they
can support the Day of Silence, I would like to suggest a few other
demonstrations so that other people can combat discrimination.
Dear Editor,
With the Day of Silence coming up in just a couple months I figured I would write in and give my two cents. Because teachers obviously have the fundamental right to not teach for a day so they can support the Day of Silence, I would like to suggest a few other demonstrations so that other people can combat discrimination.
First, I would like to propose a Day of Sitting for all construction workers in Gilroy. Sure it may interfere with their job, but don’t they have the right to demonstrate? Besides, I’m sure they can do their job just fine sitting down. Also, I would like to propose a Day of Non-Treatment for all doctors. They would still be present at the hospital of course, they just won’t be treating any patients. I am also suggesting that my father, who is a therapist, take part in the Day of Silence. His clients would obviously still be charged full price even though he won’t be talking at all during their sessions. Hopefully they will be open minded enough to be supportive of his courageous demonstration.
Don’t get me wrong. If you want to support a cause that you believe in then by all means do so. That is, just so long as you DO YOUR JOB while you’re at it. It is absolutely ridiculous to allow a teacher to not complete the job that they are being paid to do so that they can support ANYTHING.
It doesn’t matter how noble the cause they support is, they need to do their job or not show up to work at all. And please, don’t say that the teachers can do there job just fine without talking. Assuming that we are all rational human beings here, I’m pretty sure that we can all figure out that a teacher who is going to be silent all day can’t do their job properly. In a private business no one in their right mind would refuse to do their job and expect to get paid. Why is it that our tax dollars are spent so carelessly, and teachers that don’t do their job would still get paid without even being reprimanded?
It is time that we took action. I am going to propose a new way to demonstrate: A Day of Absence. If you are tired of letting your tax dollars be wasted on teachers who won’t do their job, then allow your child to be absent on April 26. If you want to make the school district do something about this then hit them where it hurts: in the pocketbook. I am hoping that everyone will support common sense and demand that teachers do their job. If you still want to combat oppression then let me make a suggestion: hold a reasonable demonstration. Having a controversial Day of Silence that teachers can participate in will only alienate reasonable people who don’t want their tax dollars wasted.
Ben Whittaker, Gilroy
