I am writing in full support of Maria Stuart’s recent column (“Woolford’s wrong: Planned student walkout in Howell isn’t anti-law enforcement; it’s anti-ICE“).
State Rep. Jason Woolford’s characterization of the Howell High School student walkout as a “rally promoting anti-law and order” is not only a misinterpretation of their message — it is a fundamental misunderstanding of the First Amendment.
These students are not “anti-law.” By protesting the aggressive and often unchecked tactics of ICE, they are calling for the highest form of law: adherence to the U.S. Constitution. It is ironic that a lawmaker would label a peaceful assembly “thuggish” while threatening to strip a school district of its funding for allowing students to exercise their constitutional rights.
Threatening the “power of the purse” to silence student voices sets a dangerous precedent for all Michigan schools. As taxpayers, we should be proud when our students take the lessons of democracy they learn in the classroom and apply them to the real world.
Instead of bullying school districts with audits and funding cuts, our representatives should be commending these young citizens for their courage and civic engagement.
Peggy Van Sickle,
Brighton
