All Quiet on the Western Front

I believe that most high school students had to read the gripping story by Erich Maria Remargue, a German, who described the push and the eventual futility of fighting for a lost cause. During the second war, Japanese school children were instructed to attach explosive devises to their bodies and crawl under American tanks to blow themselves and the tanks up should the United States invade. When we even see fourth grade students in the East Bay now take up the anti-ICE slogan, we need to come to the realization that our country is on the precipice of a fanaticism that we have not seen before since the Civil War. Our school system and their parents are to blame for this impending disastrous effect on the well-being of our kids. Our youth are already afflicted with depression, lower scholastic performance and difficulty with communication even with their own peers. These walkouts may provide them a temporary relief and even a sense of satisfaction to belong, but the subject is scarily misunderstood.

For me it is even more astounding that I read some parents’ comments that their kids are heroes and fighting for justice. They are actually limiting their critical thinking. Abetted by their parents and teachers, they are sinking further into the abyss of ignorance.

Dirk van Ulden

Belmont