THE CZECH IS IN THE MAIL
As I’ve stated before, I’m a fan of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Last week, young people across the country exercised their First Amendment rights by walking out of class for a couple of hours to take a stand against the recent activities of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
Immigration- control personnel under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reportedly are responsible for two shooting deaths last month in separate incidents in Minneapolis.
On Jan. 7, Renee Good was killed during a brief interaction with federal agents.
During a protest on Jan. 24, Alex Pretti was shot after an interaction with federal operatives.
Both fatalities have drawn the ire of people across the country.
In Central Texas, several hundred high school students hailing from four districts in the Taylor Press and Elgin Courier coverage zones — Bastrop, Elgin, Hutto and Taylor — took their stands.
The students marched on different days during the week of Feb. 1-7. None of the walkouts were sanctioned by the districts.
On Feb. 2, Bastrop Independent School District high schoolers met at the Chestnut Street Bridge over the Colorado River to protest. Just two days later on Feb. 4, Elgin High School students marched from their campus down County Line Road to the Austin Community College campus on U.S. 290 to voice their opposition.
The next day, Hutto High School students walked from their campus to Hutto City Hall to express their concerns. The following day — Feb. 6 — Taylor High School learners joined in solidarity in downtown Taylor to take a stand against ICE.
Taylor Press received many comments on its social-media pages about the videos reporters shot of the marches. Some viewers supported the students, and some did not.
Either way, that’s fine. It’s wonderful that people are exercising their First Amendment rights to speak up on our social-media platforms (but please keep it clean and free of insults).
Meanwhile, these students took a stand despite earning unexcused absences at school. However, their willingness to support their beliefs deserves the utmost respect and commendation.
These protests were not the first anti-ICE outcries. There have been others in Bastrop, Elgin and Taylor since Jan. 7.
As I stated previously, there are times when ICE does its job. On Jan. 12, an immigration-related case in East Williamson County could have spelled disaster if it hadn’t been for quick law-enforcement intervention.
Williamson County sheriff’s deputies stopped and arrested four men in a sedan linked to gunfire while driving east on U.S. 79 toward Taylor. No injuries were reported.
The suspect accused of standing in the car’s open sunroof and firing a gun at random was taken to the Williamson County Jail in Georgetown. He was charged in that case and was identified as being a person of interest to ICE, according to officials.
The other three occupants were detained by ICE. This was an example of ICE doing its job properly.
To the young people who expressed their constitutional guarantee to free speech and peaceful assembly last week: Great job. Keep exercising your rights appropriately.
Chlapek is the area editor of the Elgin Courier and Taylor Press. He can be reached at jason.chlapek@granitemediapartners.
com.
