World Can’t Wait interviewed a Dover High School student who organized walkouts on November 2nd. Included is his call for students to be in the streets on the night of the State of the Union Address and to be in DC on February 4th to demand Bush Step Down.
WCW:Dover is a small town in Pennsylvania that has been vaulted into the national spotlight over the battle of whether or not Intelligent Design would be required to be taught in the public school system in Dover. Intelligent design was voted down and Pat Robertson issued a warning to the people of Dover. What’s Dover like? What was the scene at school during the battle around intelligent design?
L.R: Well the town sucks, but the youth here are really cool. It’s really small and we don’t even have a down town or main street. Some students don’t care about Bush or politics, but a lot really do care about the world and where we are headed under Bush. There’s a lot of youth who really hate Bush, but it’s split because many of the adults are really for Bush and really religious. Not all the adults, we got a lot of support from people when we walked out on Nov.2nd, but a lot of people voted for Bush. My mom loves Bush and Jesus. She goes to church every Sunday and paints Jesus statues.
WCW: What was it like there during the battle over intelligent design?L.R:Well there was a lot of news reporters at school all the time. Opinions on intelligent design was split, but also a lot of students were misinformed on it or didn’t even know people were voting on it. I think intelligent design is completely wrong and you can’t force religion on to people. People have to come to religion on their own. You shouldn’t be able to brainwash students in school with a forced religion.
WCW: How did you hear about World Can’t Wait? What made you decide to come forward?
LR: I heard about World Can’t Wait when me and my girlfriend went to the September 24th anti- War rally in DC. You have to voice your opinion, you can’t stay silent and just complain about this with your friends. What really got me pissed off was when I saw Americans killing other Americans in New Orleans. It made me really sad and mad at the same time. Bush was issuing orders for soldiers to kill other people just because of the color of their skin. They showed black people as looters when they were stealing things to survive, but then they showed white people walking down the street with shopping carts and you were supposed to feel sympathy for them.
WCW: What did you think New Orleans represented?L.R: Fascism.
WCW: What is it like to organize an anti-Bush walkout in a town like Dover?
L.R: I work at a place where I could get copies printed for free so I made up a couple hundred flyers and handed them out through school. Many people were like ‘ This isn’t going to happen’ or were like ‘ Yea, I’ll be there’. 80 people walked out of school to take part in the protest and like 100 just stayed home or didn’t go to school. We protested in the square for 6 or 7 hours and I was surprised by how many people supported us. A lot of people drove by and beeped their horns and flashed peace signs. Since I had to sign out of school I haven’t organized too much, but I just made up some flyers for the State of the Union.
WCW: What do you would mean you had to “sign out’?L.R: Well a lot of people were suspended for three days after walking out on Nov.2nd. I was already on thin-ice at school and on my way out. My grades were low and I wasn’t really going to class. I kept my grades up so I could stay in school until at least Nov.2nd; I had to organize for this walk out. So after the walk outs were over the school was like either we will expel you or you can willingly sign out of school. So I signed out, so it I could apply to get into another high school in the town next to me.The problem is that there is a huge drop out rate at my school and there’s like a year wait to get into another High School because there’s such a high drop out rate in our school. Plus then my parents kicked me out of the house because I got kicked out of school. I’m renting out a place now and getting a promotion at work) .times get rough and you have to get through them and then when you overcome them they don’t seem as big. My dad’s more cool about things, he’s in the union and I saw him the other day. My mom’s not really supportive of my self-expression. Like when I stopped going to church in 7th grade and started to listen more to heavy metal. I grew out of that stuff) from heavy metal more into my political activism.
WCW: What made you keep your grades up to stay in school until Nov.2nd? Why was it important for you to do that?
L.R: I didn’t want this to be another thing that was like ‘I could’ve done that or yea we should’ve done that’, but it needed to happen. People needed to hear another side of the story, another voice. There’s millions of people who hate this and who can’t vote and want to make a difference.
WCW: Will you be in DC February 4th?
L.R:Yea I’ll be there and bringing all my friends who went to Sept.24th. I’d like to issue a call for the millions of youth who can’t vote to be in DC on Feb 4th. Never in US history has there ever been a President that’s been forced to step down and for people to be able to do that; that’s historical) If he opens his window and looks out to a sea of people demanding he step down or watch it on the news it could make a real difference.
Sometimes I don’t know what it’s going to take? The other day it was really nice out and I went to the park and nobody was there. It was a beautiful day and the parking lot was empty. Then I was walking on my street later that night to get some fresh air and I looked at all the houses and everyone was in their homes watching T.V. Every time I turn on CNN it adds another check mark to the list of reasons of why Bush sucks. People need to leave their homes and TVs and get into the streets. When you start talking about this stuff you really just get frustrated, another two years of this planet dying. I can’t wait until we get 2008 and it changes.
WCW: If we get to 2008 or if there will be elections in 2008. What if a movement can force him out before that? Isn’t that what’s needed?L.R: Yea that’d be better, thats why I’m talking to you.