Several hundred students from Ygnacio Valley high school, Concord high school, and Mt. Diablo high school walked out of class today and gathered on the corner of Monument Boulevard and Meadow Lane to protest deportations.
MDUSD Students Walk Out Of Class, Meet On Monument Blvd. To Protest Deportations
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I wonder why they only protest on Monument Blvd? Head toward the Crisis Center on Market St. you can kill two birds with one stone!
Would have been a good event for ICE to attend.
Oh, please,
.
Why? Those who were protesting were/are under no obligation to identify or state their immigration status to ICE.
Wrong! If detained, they will be checked for everything, warrants, prior records, prior contacts with any law enforcement. The record check will show if they are illegally in this country. They can lie all they want but the cops will know who they are.
Tony,
.
Detainment was never mentioned, was it. They have to be detained for reasonable suspicion of a crime, not just mass detainment absent a crime. Illegal detainment and forcing them to identify absent a crime, while engaged in a protected activity, will only lead to legal action against ICE and ICE employees at further costs to US taxpayers. Federal, state, and local governments are already paying out billions of dollars each and every year due to rights violations.
Whatever one’s position on the issue, it is good to see young people involved in issues of the day, and willing to stand up for their beliefs. I was attending Concord High in the seventies when Prop 13 was a big deal. It was the same scene as this one with students and signs in front of the school.
Free speech is a right, regardless of the topic at hand. This particular topic is a very sensitive one given our demographics. I hope for the best for the families in our community.
just a bunch of losers trying to fit in and be part of something without a clue of whats really going on. They are brainwashed… They are deporting illegals that are criminals who are pedos, rapist and murderers.
It might be a right, but they are wrong and have likely been brainwashed.
Like Jan. 6, 2021 protestors
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PROP 13 and allowing illegal criminals to stay in our Country are 2 totally different subjects. WOW
Yes, they are two totally different subjects from decades apart. My point is we as students were allowed to protest back then, and our right to do so was honored. We were supporting our teachers. My post was not intended to compare issues, only to support our young people in exercising their first amendment right. I see your WOW and raise you an insight.
how many were charged with truancy? They were breaking the law. At minimum each of these kids should be serving detentions at their school and banned from any school events u til they are served. Hey if they want to break at a minimum school laws, they should reap the consequences.
how many teachers encouraged this? Are they fired yet? If they encouraged children to break the law … they should be fired.
I have no issue with protesting when done legally.
It’s a nationwide protest. Students who attended the protest will not be disciplined (unless there are extenuating circumstances). They will not be marked present for the classes they missed.
Source: Concord HS email that went out to parents
no consequence? That’s the problem
Yep, they can become POTUS or Secretary of Defense or another cabinet position.
mane sir calm yo lil ahh down bro its just a protest. its not that deep, plus the teachers that encouraged us even gave us permission. Aint no one was charged with truancy, not 1 souL serving detention, and no teacher is serving detention lol
@user
Tell you what, you might want to stay in school and learn spelling and grammer instead of protesting in the streets. To be fair, I see an error or two in my original post.
I do appreciate you confirming that teachers encouraged you to ditch class for this unlawful protest, unless you had a permit? Did you? Would you like to share the teacher and school so we can work with that teacher? I doubt you are that gullible, but I had to ask. LOL
My words around truancy and detention were that I thought people should be charged, not that they were. that goes to Reading Comprehension, not grammar and spelling,
So child, why don’t you sit your butt back in the school chair and learn a little about life.
unlawful protest??? lol ok
@user
You have proven that MDUSD is a complete failure at education.
Why should we be punished for something that we stand by and we are suffering with, are voices need to be heard because clearly you haven’t seen the inhumanity that is happening in this country. Most of us students are standing up for are parents who came to this country to give us the best future possible and have worked harder then you ever have. So what makes you think we deserve to be punished for standing up for what is right?
Student,
.
Parent stated why you and fellow student protesters should be punishment, it’s called TRUANCY!
.
The only people that you have to blame for how you’re feeling is your parents, for being illegal aliens in the US, they put you in this position, nobody else!
.
You have absolutely no idea how hard any other person posting comments here, who you’ve never met, has worked throughout their lifetimes.
Hard work is coming into our country the legal way. Paying Federal and State taxes. Not lowering the wages of citizens, over running schools and hospitals. Hard working people stay in their country’s and make their Countrys better. Hard working people don’t cross boarders illegally.
We are not haters we are citizens. We don’t want illegal criminals in our Country. Who sounds crazy now?
Freedom of assembly and speech, go for it.
Hopefully kids will think before posting pictures and comments to social media.
Once posted it’s out there for future employers, offering a high paying position, to find.
CLM, Career Limiting Move.
Then again liberal colleges will view posts as a plus.
Well, they will at least know that these kids who attended are not very bright.
Was amazing to me amount of data collected and compiled on citizens, opened a brokerage account a few years back and a data collection site was used to verify my identity, had previous address from when I was a kid up to current address, all vehicles I’ve ever owned, past phone numbers, properties I own . . . .
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Kids need to be taught what they put up on social media doesn’t go away.
Wasn’t it already a Minimum Day??? BTW, most don’t care about the issue……will do anything to cut class!
Actually no, most of us knew what we were protesting and 99% of us stayed all the way till the end. And yes young people do know about what’s going on in our country and we can use our voice.
Sorry junior, I doubt you have any idea of what is going on in the country, specifically in this case with deportation. The fact you are all protesting deportation is a clear sign this group does not know. You are fed the narrative of what your out of touch teachers are telling you. Take some of these comments from the people you like to call boomers and use that as a springboard to perhaps educate yourself on the reality of the situation.
So, you, the modern-day 48th-percentile students will all be volunteering to pay room and board at home, kick in a tidy sum for repayment of property taxes, School Bond payments for maintenance and upkeep, payment for teacher salaries, pensions, health insurance for them and their entire family. Then there is the cost to the City (which will also be paid out of our taxes) to clean up the filthy mess you punks (and those for whom you protest) leave behind everywhere you congregate. Should I continue, or did you have to stop to look up the meaning of the big words. I tried to keep them short for you.
Oh, yes. Boomer? Yes. Who do you think 100% built and paid for those schools you disrespect.
I am sure it had nothing to do with the views of your teachers and parents. Beyond that, I assure you that you have zero clue about what is actually going on.
I noticed there were no students protesting Covid lockdowns. It was the biggest infringement on our civil liberties for almost a century.
It’s almost like the kids take their cues from the teachers and the news. Go figure.
I also remember walking down Monument and being refused service at the tacqueria because I didn’t have a Vaxx card. Irony? Karma? Overgeneralization? Probably, but where was the public outrage then?
We walked out of class for something (cannot remember what, 40+ years ago). What I do remember is we all got an F on the test we missed, and were marked as absent for each class missed, that was when attendance meant something. I would do the same, you miss a test because of this, you get a zero. Curious if the teachers riled them up.
There are no Fs anymore. It’s the everyone gets a trophy and no discipline world for kids, these days.
F stands for Fine nowadays.
Of course teachers had a hand in this! These kids would not have had this idea on their own. It is sad they do not know they were brainwashed into this movement and they have no idea what they are really standing for.
Like the lie that 2020 was rigged?
Rigged by mainstream media and big tech? Absolutely. That’s a different argument than fraudulent.
That would have been a good opportunity for ICE to show up.
ClayDen,
.
Why? They were/are under no obligation to identify or state their immigration status to ICE.
.
If ICE had been present this would’ve resulted in an altercation between the two sides, and given American corporate media video of adult ICE agents in an altercation with minor students, to exploit in order to put pressure on the Trump Administration to limit and/or end deportations.
Why would any citizen want deportation of illegals criminal to end? Because you don’t care? You like paying high taxes?
FPN,
.
I never said I want deportations to end, or that I don’t care about the illegal alien problem, or that I like paying high taxes.
Well, Duh…
Ygnacio Valley HS: 81.1% Hispanic
Mt. Diablo HS: 74.9% Hispanic
Concord HS: 56.0% Hispanic
Meanwhile you have the other high schools
Clayton Valley Charter: 26.9% Hispanic
Northgate HS: 16.5% Hispanic
*Demographic data from U.S. News Rankings
The ranking of the school seems to be directly related to the percentages you posted. Wonder why…
The students were on Treat and Oak Grove. They were VERY respectful, stayed out of traffic, and made way for pedestrians. Peaceful protesting at its best!
… peaceful protest when the kids are packing guns?! see the other post!
Did they have a permit to assemble?
I think protesting by marching results in sore feet, a sun tan, and perhaps meeting some lovely people; that’s about it. Marching doesn’t change politicians’ minds.
Taking time off from school for marching makes me wonder why I’m paying taxes. Will I get a credit for the time the students are marching?
It’s funny how they don’t want to protest in the rain.
I wonder who organized all three schools to march today?
Was it the students or their teachers?
I doubt we’ll ever know.
You seem very entitled, and also don’t worry our parents also pay taxes so it wasn’t on your penny. And no, it was all fully student led and organized, and rain or shine we still would have protested and shown that our opinion matters
Sure they do. Just make sure you’re basing your opinion on ALL the information available rather than what the propagandists employed by your school tell you.
Sweetie. With all due respect, no. It was not arranged by students. There is a puppeteer pulling your strings and it is not a teenager.
Your puppeteer is also an adult
Student,
.
Tom Homan doesn’t care about your voice. You weren’t showing that your voice or opinion matters to anyone who has anything to do with deporting illegal aliens. I found you to be much more entitled than Abe.
Yet you are perfectly willing to pay taxes that will end up in Donald Trump, Elon musk and more billionaires pockets. Your also paying taxes for these mas deportations that cost over 1 million dollars . Not to mention the tariffs he’s implementing that are going to make the basic cost of living x 100!!! LOL republicans and trump supporters are so incompetent.
Do you think tax dollars weren’t pouring into the pockets of the Biden family and their cronies?
That answer is obvious. Of course they were. But now in 2025 eggs will cost $30 and to fill my gas tank its going to be $100. Our country is running towards oligarchy , authoritarianism and a fascist billionaire who only cares about himself and white people is in charge. My parents are immigrants, I was born in the US. The country my family is from, is a communist country run by a dictator. I have been well informed of what injustice looks like since i was very little. The only difference between the US and my country is our freedom of speech. Thats terrifying. Our democracy is dying in silence. Believe me or not. These protests by our beloved immigrant community is only the start, and does not even prevent the bigger threat our country is facing.
Daniela,
.
If your parents are legal immigrants then you’ve got nothing to worry about. It’s sad that you claim to be an American born citizen, but refer to your parents communist country of origin as “my country,” and not the United States of America as “my country.” What is much more sad is that you believe the only difference between your parents communist country of orgin and the United States is “freedom of speech.” It seems as though your parents made their journey to the USA for very little gain, at least in your eyes.
Mexico states that any child born to one or both Mexican citizens, that has a child anywhere in the world, is considered to be under the jurisdiction of Mexico and a Mexican citizen.
Do you watch CNN? Bless your heart.
We’re not a democracy. We’re a Constitutional Representative Republic that democratically elects representatives. When your immigrant parents became naturalized (assuming they were) they had to pass a test regarding such things.
We are both of those things. There are different ways of answering depending on how technical you want to get.
Sorry, we are NOT a Democracy as a political system. Our leaders are elected democratically – meaning “by the people”. A Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what’s for dinner. To refer to our system of government as a Democracy is intellectually lazy.
“The only difference between the US and my country is………….” Do you even see what you just did there?
Daniela,
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Mass deportations at a cost of over 1 million dollars is a bargain! Do you understand how tariffs work because it doesn’t sound like you do?
Daniela:
Your comment shows just how uneducated you are on the subject. Spending “a million dollars (wherever you came up with that number) is well worth it when “mas” (sic – means you misspelled it) deportations remove criminals from our community! And yes, ILLEGAL immigrants are criminals. Of course, we won’t mention the violent criminals the government is actually targeting! Who wouldn’t want violent criminals and child molesters in their community? Lastly, I’m sure being lied to about who led our country for the last four years is OK with you, though! I would say a president who has dementia and doesn’t even know where he is would be better described as the incompetent one. I recommend you return to the classroom and pick up a history book.
I believe some teachers give bonus credit to students who publicly manifest their anti-USA sentiment.
Hey kids! Just forge a note to say you were sick, then you don’t get in trouble.
The Mexican word of the day is “Ashley”.
“I told teacher I was sick, but ashley I went to protest!”
Love your hair! hope you win! (sarcasm)
stupid kids…. don’t know anything about how the economy (or the world) works. Only hurt your school as it will be marked as an absence “and they get paid by the student in their seat”.
If your so smart, what’s a tariff? 😂😂and what happened to the conservative right and protecting the youth?
Student has missed too many English classes.
Hmmmm. Tariff🤔? What do you think, Angry American? That must be one of those new-fangled thing-a-ma-jigs the genius Gen-Z-ers invented.
👍
another genius 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 on your way to a college degree. live a little kid.
Ah. Yes. Brainwashing confirmed. This is a sad state for the youth. It is funny, though. When YOU’RE a teenager, you think you know everything (because your teachers tell you what to think and you have no experience to speak of). And when reality hits and mommy or the government is not paying your bills, it is interesting how many come to understand what being a conservative means. I wish you a delightful wakeup call after adulthood.
You are so privileged. You should be thankful you never had to worry about bringing in a income at the rip age of 13. Or never had to worry about how to read tax forms for your parents. Many kids don’t even need school to learn about the hardships reality offers. You are one of the many entitled people who have the privilege to say you didn’t have to adult until you were actually an adult.
Daniela,
.
The only one who sound “privileged” and “entitled” is you!!! You have no clue as to what hardships “Oh, please” or any other person posting here has had to deal with in their lives. If you had to live with any of the things that you mentioned, means that you only have your parents to blame for the positions that they put you in.
Why are you assuming anything about me? Trying to make yourself seem better. Your just proving to me how entitled you are. May god bless everyone on here who takes the time to argue with others or accuse them. We are all strangers merely sharing our perspectives.
Daniela,
.
Why did you ASSUME anything about other people leaving comments here? Were you were just trying to make yourself seem better than others? You’re just proving to all of us how “privileged” and “entitled” you are. You were the one who started labeling people, but you don’t seem to like or understand when and why others label you.
Great, can’t spell “you’re” and you’re challenging the knowledge of someone else. This is what California public schools get us in return for some of the highest taxes in the country.
Student,
.
How about you tell us what a tariff is and tariffs work? Your actions of attending this protest sure wasn’t about “protecting the youth,” it actually put “the youth” in danger. I’m not sure how any of your response was addressing the comment made by Angry American?
Well…. the young immigrant next door neighbor explained tariffs to me ” I go to buy shoes and I switch price tags around. I look at the tag and I tariff it cost too much and put on a cheaper tag”.
As a teacher at one of these schools, I found out about it on the morning it happened from students. It was entirely student-organized and led. I don’t know if some of you realize this, but teens are much more plugged into their social media networks than the grownups who teach them. They know stuff before we do. I was asked by many of them if they were “allowed” to go on the walk-out. I answered that that isn’t how walk-outs and protests work: you make your own choice and face the consequences. (Reminder: protests are a freedom protected by the Constitution.) In case you are not totally mentally captured by your own media networks, hear this: Students were marked absent and class went on without them. Funny how certain people assume teachers are behind everything that opposes their own views. Ha! Brother in Christ, teachers are far too overworked and far too concerned with teaching the material and caring for students to spend our weekends organizing protests. You were a kid once, too: you must remember that students had minds and hopes and anger. They have never needed teachers to rile them up; they have everything else going on in the world to do that for them. Funny, moreover, how teachers are accused of being unable to reach disaffected kids, yet somehow we’re also the masterminds of their every impulse. Give me a break. It sounds like some of you have never been a teenager, let alone raised one. But keep buying what you’re sold; keep letting elites set you against people in the same boat as you. And, by the way, it’s news to me that Fs are no longer given, considering I’ve seen my own grade books, and there are plenty of Fs for those who don’t even try to learn. How the heck would any of you even know what goes on in schools, given that you sound like you haven’t been there since the 1800s? I, for one, am happy that my students, both those who walked out and those who didn’t, made a decision for themselves–many in consultation with their families. You know, that thing we want them to do? Consult with us and then make big decisions?
Except it wasn’t entirely student organized and led.
These protests get promoted by the media. Corporate news amplifies the message. The kids model it. But they are too immature to understand that they are being manipulated.
The same mechanism works to perpetuate school shootings or instigate waves of suicides that sometimes follow a celebrities death.
My message was that the teachers did not organize or instigate the protest, which is an accusation repeated several times in this comment thread. I stand by my point: Students decided to organize a walk-out, and they did it. You can accuse teachers of having “brainwashed them” and “riled them up”, but, once again, we were blindsided by it. I was asked by a few of them to help organize, and I refused. I said, “No, it’s your movement, you organize it.” Hilarious that in the days following their protest, the number one accusation in the Claycord comments is that teachers pushed it! Damned if we do, damned if we don’t.
As for your point that students were influenced by the “media”: obviously, we all swim in influences, and we all are exposed to the media–including you. You just follow other media. The fact that so many of the folks commenting here, the ones treating students with so much derision and arrogance and, frankly, loathing, are saying the same few points suggests that these folks are consuming similar media.
I would take a step back (not you personally; I’m addressing this to the people who are so angry at the protesters) and think about the impact you have on young people. The level of disgust, condescension, and outright hostility is truly sad. If you think you’re going to change hearts by treating the upcoming generation like trash when they want to be heard, good luck. Something tells me they won’t be listening to you, and it will have nothing to do with those damned teachers (though we’ll still be seen as the bad guys.)
Aurelius,
.
The number one accusation made in this Claycord comment section isn’t that “teachers pushed it,” It’s actually how much these students can’t afford to miss school because their grammer has been so horrendous!!!!!
Ironic that I was teaching a lesson on grammar when the walkout was beginning. But, again, damned if we do, damned if we don’t.
Grammar.
TPC,
.
You got me, I had a spelling error, shame on me!!!
If you were asked to organize the protests how could you have been blind-sided by them?
Students would have to know your political leanings to even ask you such a thing.
We’ve all had activist teachers. That’s why they get blamed for instigating such protests. If you think they don’t exist, it’s probably because you are one of them.
You have a good point about derision towards the kids being counter-productive. But it’s also hurtful to only applaud them for voicing social causes that you approve of and letting them think that it was their idea the whole time.
I was asked about them on the morning they were happening. This is not a difficult thing to understand. No adult knew they were happening until the morning of the event. I went around asking if anyone knew what was going on, but I was the first adult I knew about who had been asked about it. Pretty soon, everyone knew. They asked me about it not because of my “political leanings”, but because they would be in my class at the time the walkout was scheduled to happen, and they wanted to know if they would be allowed to leave because they didn’t want to be marked absent. We had a pretty big class assignment due that day, so they were torn between two things. I informed them that they would be marked absent and would missed what we did in class, because that’s how that walkouts work. You are trying so, so hard to misunderstand everything I say. There’s no gotcha, here. It seems that there is nothing I could have done that would convince any of you that I did not organize this thing.
In my first comment, I said I’m proud of the ones who walked out *and the ones who didn’t* for consulting with the adults in their lives and making a big decision.
Sir or Ma’am, if you want to insist teachers organized this, we can’t change your mind, but you should reflect on what influences have caused you to believe this despite someone calmly explaining to you what really happened.
I never insisted that teachers organized this. I said that the media organized and promoted it with its select coverage.
I said that teachers get blamed because many of us have had experience with an activist teacher. Often this type of activism is subtle but pervasive. For example, 10 years ago many teachers openly wore Obama clothing to work or hung Hope posters from their classroom walls.
What would happen if a teacher at MT wore a MAGA hat or hung a MAGA poster? Likely there would be threats of violence by students or parents and likely there would be administrative action against that teacher. Is that not political activism?
Why are they protesting the removal of illegal criminals? They are deporting those that have done crimes here and are illegally here. Why would you be on the side of pedos, rapists, murderers and why wouldn’t you want those type of people that are not American citizens to have the right to stay here after committing such crimes? This is insanity! Also why wave the flag of another country, if you like that country so much then go back home and if its so great then why did you flee from it to come here to the united states. The free ride is over!
Actually ironically enough they haven’t been focusing on any criminals 😂😂😂😂😂😂 .. Dads and Moms have been taken away while driving home to their children. These are hard working people, seeking a better future for their family. They are getting taken away for simply not being born in this country. Some documented migrants have been detained for simply speaking Spanish or any other language that is not English. ICE is using LETHAL force to detain peaceful immigrants FOR WHAT??? These are not criminals, they are humans. This is not just in our area. Not just in California but in every state. EDUCATE YOURSELF.
Danilea,
.
What evidence do you have that “they” haven’t been focusing deportations on criminals. Illegal aliens aren’t being deported or “taken away” for simply NOT being born in this country, they all had the opportunity to apply to come to the US on a student or work visa, or apply to become a resident alien and later citizenship. How many illegal aliens has ICE used lethal force on in the last 18 days? You are correct, illegal aliens are humans, but they’re humans who chose to not legally enter the United States.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2HR9Q1/
I hope everyone watches these videos with a open mind and not lose sight of humanity. I pray for us all.
Please, for the love of all that is holy, provide the SOURCES where you got that information.
In the comment above responding to “The black night” I attached a news report on documented migrants getting tricked by there immigration lawyers and getting detained by Ice. Down bellow I will attach a video filmed by a concerned citizen of multiple ICE officers using lethal force on a family.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThHkshp/
for some reason its not letting me attach these videos
I don’t waste my time on communist Chinese applications. If TikTok is the best you’ve got as a source, that explains a lot.
We students aren’t protesting those people who have committed crimes and are being deported we are protesting. We students are protesting against ice talking are undocumented family members but most importantly are parents lots of us students come from parents who are undocumented and before you asume that all of us are criminals maybe you should do a little more research before spreading inaccurate information. Lots of are parents came to this country to protect us and to give us the best future possible because in most cases are place of origin can’t provide the same opportunities as they can in other places and most of are undocumented parents came to make sure there children have to best opportunities they can. Also in most cases are undocumented parents have lived in poverty and in a place where they couldn’t study nor get a degree in anything that’s why they want something better for there kids. Also before you call us free riders make sure you know that are parents also pay taxes and pay everything you citezens pay as well and that the undocumented people have probably worked 1000 times harder then you people every have . Right anyways before you day something make sure you do some research!
Cry the victim. Undocumented is leaving the house without your id not gaming the system to become a resident. Coming here to have a child and then starting chain migration is the game. If you came here for a better life then why all the Mexican flags? Make your point more effectively, go to school get educated then change the laws. “for gods sake take English” citezens?????
People come to have a better life. What do you mean “why all the Mexican flags?”…Is it wrong to show a Mexican flag? Lol
support the country you live in or go live in the country you support. If you were sincere in this plight you would have flags of America as you were trying to become part of it not I love Mexico. If you love Mexico (and there is nothing wrong with that) you would change Mexico. You got your state “1824” after the US “1776” (give or take) so how did it get so f^$ked up that you want to come here for a better life???? but it is clear there there is no reasoning with this as your minds are like concrete…thoroughly mixed and permanently set.
kiki, Go into Mexico and hoist Old Glory…. (wear a helmet and a Bullet-proof vest).
You won’t even have to scream and yell and complain about anything.
Oh, and BTW… don’t drink the water.
“Also before you call us free riders make sure you know that are parents also pay taxes and pay everything you citezens pay as well and that the undocumented people have probably worked 1000 times harder then you people every have .”
Okay, before you accuse “you people” of not working hard, I have been busting my ass since the age of 15 and have the tax returns to prove it. I have supported myself since the age of 18 working full-time jobs for the past 40+ years. I have done labor on construction sites encompassing all aspects of excavation. So please take that “we work harder” bs and kindly think about what you say and who you address next time.
As a teacher at one of these schools, I found out about it on the morning it happened from students. It was entirely student-organized and led. I don’t know if some of you realize this, but teens are much more plugged into their social media networks than the grownups who teach them. They know stuff before we do. I was asked by many of them if they were “allowed” to go on the walk-out. I answered that that isn’t how walk-outs and protests work: you make your own choice and face the consequences. (Reminder: protests are a freedom protected by the Constitution.) Students were marked absent and class went on without them. Funny how certain people assume teachers are behind everything that opposes their own views. Ha! Teachers are far too overworked and far too concerned with teaching the material and caring for students to spend our weekends organizing protests. You were a kid once, too: you must remember that students had minds and hopes and anger. They have never needed teachers to rile them up; they have everything else going on in the world to do that for them. Funny, moreover, how teachers are accused of being unable to reach disaffected kids, yet somehow we’re also the masterminds of their every impulse. It sounds as though some of you have never been a teenager, let alone raised one. But keep buying what you’re sold; keep letting elites set you against people in the same boat as you. And, by the way, it’s news to me that Fs are no longer given, considering I’ve seen my own grade books, and there are plenty of Fs for those who don’t even try to learn. How the heck would any of you even know what goes on in schools, given that you sound like you haven’t been there since the 1800s? I, for one, am happy that my students, both those who walked out and those who didn’t, made a decision for themselves–many in consultation with their families.
Aurelius,
.
The fact that you reposted an edited version of your original comment tells us all we need to know about you. It’s obvious what you found so damaging in your original comment,
.
“You know, that thing we want them to do? Consult with us and then make big decisions?”
.
You admitted that you want your students to “consult” with you. Is that so you have the time to manipulate and indoctrinate?
I posted twice because I thought the first one got rejected for attitude or due to a glitch. Turns out, I just hadn’t waited long enough for it to appear.
Yes, Black Knight, kids should consult with adults, including their families, neighbors, teachers, and even people with your views. You insist on interpreting my words in the worst possible way. It’s not manipulation, it’s how life works. Kids talk to elders, to each other, to their younger siblings. What you call indoctrination is what I call socializing. Try socializing outside your own group once in a while.
Aurelius,
.
I now see “the attitude” in your responding comment, which made you believe why your previous comment was rejected. When you yourself believed your last two sentences were cause for your comment to be rejected, but when someone else reads your last 2 sentences for what they say, you must attack. You can’t win an argument on merits, so you have to go to attacking me. You know nothing about me or who I socialize with, but it says everything that we need to know about you that you think you know me. The fact that you and your students use the same sort of language is revealing, you use “elites,” they use “rich” or “wealthy,” and you all claim the “elites/rich/wealthy” are dividing us. It’s truly scary that you’re a teacher at one of these MDUSD schools and explains why some of these students took the actions that they did.
When I reread my original comment, it seemed a little too spicy, so I edited it. You also know nothing about me, so it would surprise you that I keep my political beliefs pretty close to my chest. The student commenter and I both used the word “elites”, but it’s not a word I use in class. “Elites” is a word that has been used a great deal by the right for decades, especially when they consider the left to be the elites. You find my being a teacher “scary”, but in class, we mostly talk about literature, rhetoric, grammar, etc. Now, speaking as a person and not a teacher, do you really think the elites of our society, the billionaires and taste-makers and politicians–do you really think they have your best interests at heart? I mean, is it really that controversial to consider that maybe the most powerful among us have their own interests at heart? Again, this sentiment is shared by the right and the left. It’s not radical. And my saying something that a student also said does not a conspiracy make. Please examine your hostility toward the young.
“Now, speaking as a person and not a teacher, do you really think the elites of our society, the billionaires and taste-makers and politicians–do you really think they have your best interests at heart?”
I don’t need them to have my best interests at heart but rather the best interests of the USA. If they don’t, hopefully the electorate has the wherewithal to remove them from their position of power – although judging by California that seems completely hopeless. I will take care of my own best interests as long as the government stays the f**k out of my way.
“I don’t need them to have my best interests at heart but rather the best interests of the USA.”
We’re splitting hairs, here. Obviously, by “us”, I meant the USA.
If that was what you really meant, as a teacher of grammar you would have used “our” rather than “your” in your statement.
Aurelius,
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I believe that I have my best intersts at heart, not someone else. The elites, wealthy, middle-class, poor, you and your students all “have your/their own interests at heart.”
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The way you’ve presented yourself here and what I experienced as a MDUSD student tells me that teachers might think they’re keeping their political views “close to the vest,” but actually don’t. The FACT that you admitted that your students felt so comfortable as to ask for your help in organizing this protest, more than likely means that your students have a very good read on your politics your students find you sympathetic to their cause.
I have absolutely NO hostility towards the young! I mearly disagreed with “the young,” who’ve claimed to be students who were involved in the protests, the positions they’ve taken, and the way they’ve presented their positions. The fact that these students showed us all how overly emotional they are and largely couldn’t formulate cohesive arguments in their comments is on them. I find the lack of their abilities to present their positions in a clear and concise way to be extremely troubling, especially for high school age students.
They asked me about the walkout because they were worried about being marked absent. They were marked absent. The ones who asked me about help organize did it because they have a tendency to rely on me for everything–passing things out, finding things, fixing things. It’s one of the issues I’m trying to change: always expecting me to solve their problems. They are comfortable saying. “Please do this? Can you do this? How do I do this?” It’s a teenager thing. They don’t like having to figure things out when someone they trust can do it for them. I said no, because it’s ridiculous for teachers to organize a political action that was entirely the students’ decision, and because I was in the middle of class when they walked in–somewhat unintentionally rudely, I might add. They also have a tendency to do that: burst into a room and start asking things. Again, a teenager thing. It’s kind of endearing, but it’s not going to make me suddenly do their protest for them. When they said their piece and left, class carried on. You will not believe this, but we were literally doing a lesson on grammar which was going better than any lesson I’ve ever tried before with kids. I think I found a new, effective way of inductively teaching clauses…but I digress…
You may not have hostility toward them, but your views on them are nothing but negative. Or maybe I’ve just gotten the wrong impression.
Aurelius,
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If you want to believe my comments have been “negative” towards your student protesters, then that’s just fine by me, but perhaps you ought to reread ALL of my comments and the comments of your student protesters. I don’t owe your student protesters anything, including being positive towards them, their comments, their beliefs, or their actions. I don’t support what they were protesting!!! Perhaps one day in the future, when you have people in your life who are killed by illegal aliens, who had absolutely NO business being in the country, maybe then you’ll be able to understand my position, among other reasons.
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Be sure to patent and trademark the new teaching method that you’ve discovered.
Great idea to protest ICE arresting criminals and taking out of our community. Makes perfect sense…
We students aren’t protesting ice arresting criminals we are protesting the inhumanity that this country is makeing are hard working parents, family members, friends, etc live through. We are protesting against ice talking these people that haven’t done anything but work hard and follow the laws every single day since they been in this country many of them have been living here for many years and it’s unfair how from one moment to another they loose it all just because they are undocumented. Many “harmful aligins” as you people like to call them are some of the most hard working people that have kept this country running and if it wasent for these people this country would be nothing. So no we are not protesting against ice talking criminals we are protesting the unfairness that is happing and the fear that is students have of one day getting home and are parents not being there anymore just because they are undocumented we should not have to live with the fear of being separated from are parents that have invested there whole life in trying to set us up for success.
Student,
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When your parents are illegal aliens they can face deportation. You only have your parents to blame for the position that they put you in. Your parents had the opportunity to apply for a student or work visa, apply to become a resident alien and eventually citizenship. If your parents, or all of the others you’ve referred to who have been here for decades and didn’t take the opportunity to achieve legal status, then that’s on them.
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When someone may be sentenced to prison their children live in fear of being separated. When a business may send an employee to work overseas their children live in fear of being separated. When someone in the military may be shipped overseas their children live in fear of being separated. Yet, for you, the fear of being separated from your illegal alien parents should take precedence.
There’s a process for becoming a citizen here in the United States. The process is open and available to all. Also, there are laws that make it a crime for illegally entering the country.
If your parents are undocumented, THEY put you in this situation, not ICE.
You are spouting pure 100% B S. This country was built with hard working American’s and legal immigrants. We are a country of laws and justice for all Americans. Immigrants that come to this country illegally broke our laws and our sovereignty. Most of your comments prove that you have been given information that is simply not true or factual. Mabey you should ask your teacher the difference between legal and illegal.
MDUSD has mastered the production of uneducated, but highly indoctrinated, self-entitled, spoiled children who are completely unprepared to live in the real world
Absolutely! It is pretty telling to see how the student posting here so closely mirrors the Socialist rants of the teacher posting here.
We do have some marvelous, dedicated & educated “teachers” who know the importance of a well rounded education, Teachers who know that a strong technical (RR&STEM) education is the only real path to success in advancing into adulthood. MDUSD does not hire many of these teachers for the schools in the lower income neighborhoods. That’s a FACT that MDUSD cannot, with honesty, deny!
Unfortunately, the great majority of teachers were only able to succeed in the softer (Arts and Social Studies) departments and they are hired by Administrators who also only excelled in the ‘softer’ “opinions matter more than facts” departments.
A vicious cycle.
Election Results Matter. Start close to home, where it begins.
Aurelius,
.
You see, “No Excuses” also found your comments and those of students to be mirroring each other. I’m not alone in finding the same language and arguments made by you and these students as suspicious.
A lot of people, including the right, are suspicious of elites. It’s a populist sentiment. On the other hand, a lot of people criticizing the protests and the students who led it use the same arguments and make the same observations. Is that suspicious?
Please explain where I said anything “socialist”. I’m not a socialist, by the way. I prefer regulated capitalism. STEM is awesome and should be better funded. We happen to have a great engineering program with an exciting robotics team, led by a teacher who won teacher of the year. In the Claycord article about his award, some of the same angry voices criticized the school and the students. Thankfully, some of them appreciated what our school is doing.
I’m a fan of STEM and agree it is one of the keys to success–I just happen not to be a STEM teacher, myself.
I’m eagerly awaiting your analysis of which parts of what I said are “socialist”.
Regulated capitalism must be the new code for socialism.
We as students are often dismissed as inexperienced or naive simply because of our age, but we are aware of the world around us, and we feel compelled to address the alarming actions being taken against immigrants in our country.
Recently, the Trump administration has expanded the Migrant Operations Center at Guantanamo Bay to detain up to 30,000 individuals labeled as “high-priority criminal aliens.” This move has been widely criticized by human rights groups and even former detainees who have condemned the decision as a moral failure. There have been reports of immigration enforcement actions taking place in sensitive locations like churches, hospitals, and schools, places that should be sanctuaries for individuals seeking safety and assistance. These actions don’t align with the values we learn about in school, values like freedom, compassion, and justice.
This isn’t just about enforcing laws – it’s about how we treat vulnerable people. Acting like all immigrants are criminals ignores the real struggles they face and goes against the basic values of compassion and justice this country is supposed to stand for. This country was built on the backs of immigrants. Almost all of us aren’t opposed to deporting actual criminals, rapists, murderers, traffickers, but that’s not what’s happening. They’re targeting people who have lived here for decades just trying to survive.
They want us to believe it’s about us vs. them. Left vs. right. Immigrant vs. citizen. But that’s not the real fight. It’s rich vs. poor. Always has been. Look at Elon Musk, one of the richest men alive, casually doing a Nazi salute at a public event, and nothing happens. No consequences. Meanwhile, working-class people are being crushed by inflation, losing their jobs, or getting deported from churches and schools, not for crimes, but just for existing. Families are being ripped apart while billionaires hoard more wealth than they could ever spend.
And let’s talk about the process. Why does it take years, sometimes decades, to get citizenship? Why is it designed to be so impossible? They tell people to “do it the right way,” but the system is broken on purpose. It’s not about law and order – it’s about control. Long wait times, high fees, excessive paperwork, and strict quotas aren’t accidents – they’re political choices. The harder it is to immigrate legally, the more people get stuck without status, making them easier to exploit for cheap labor while also being scapegoated. If lawmakers actually wanted a fair and functional system, they’d fix it. But keeping it broken benefits the people in power.
And it’s not just some opinion that things are getting dangerous. The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention – an organization literally created from the lessons of World War II – issued a red flag alert for the U.S. They see the warning signs. The same patterns that led to genocide before. And people just ignore it? Or worse, defend it?
It’s not a battle between us. It’s about the people in power keeping us divided so we don’t notice them getting richer while we suffer. We don’t have to fall for it.
We may be young, but we’re paying attention. We understand that these political decisions will shape our future. So, please, don’t dismiss our voices.
Thank you for taking the time to try and educate these privileged entitled people in this comment section. Your not alone.
Danilea,
.
You’re the one who appears to be the privileged and entitled person in this comment section.
Well said.
Aurelia,
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No, not well said at all!
Thank you for your very articulate and rational reply. Many readers here could certainly learn a thing or two from you. Well done!
Who’s more the fool,
.
No, you’re completely wrong, there’s absolutely nothing Claycord readers could learn from this “KNOW-IT-ALL” teen!!!
R,
.
I see, you believe Elon Musk should’ve faced “consequences” for engaging in his First Amendment rights, because of your subjective opinion and view of his actions, while you and other students believe your First Amendment right to redress should be respected. You sound a bit hypocritical!
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Our immigration system ISN’T BROKEN, it works as designed! Illegal immigration is not a sign of a broken immigration system, it is a sign of a broken land and water border security system, a broken visa system, and a broken asylum system. The ability to achieve citizenship should take years to allow a long vetting process to see if those seeking citizenship are worthy of being granted citizenship by vetting their behavior while here on a visa and/or a resident alien “green card.” Just because more people want to enter the US than the 1 million+ people we legally allow into the country each year, doesn’t mean we should or have to allow them into the country. You see, the needs of the country come first, not the needs of the foreign national who wants to enter the US.
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Just so that you’re aware, the foreign-born population of the United States has never surpassed 15% of our overall population. The highest it has ever been was 14.8% or about 13.7 million people in 1910. The lowest it has ever been was 4.7% or about 9.6 million people in 1970. Every time the foreign-born population of the US has approached 15% of our overall population the native-born population of the US pushes back on the government to control legal and illegal immigration. Today, the foreign-born population is at about 14.7% or about 48 million people.
Try this on for size:
https://tinyurl.com/yc2a5hyd
The ADL, which is a LOOONG way from far right, determined that Musk’s action did not constitute a Nazi salute. If you want to take it up with them, knock yourself out. I suggest you bring receipts.
My reply at 5:13 was intended for “R”.
Then you should do something to remedy the governments inefficient citizenship process.
p.s. The government is inefficient, inept and incompetent in most everything they do.
I completely agree that the citizenship process is inefficient – something nearly everyone acknowledges. But saying ‘then do something’ to a 17-year-old ignores the reality that systemic change isn’t as simple as personal action. The people with the power to fix it – lawmakers, policymakers – have little incentive to do so because the current system benefits those in power. Young people speaking out is part of ‘doing something,’ and dismissing that only helps keep the system broken.
Yes, it is a difficult process to become a naturalized citizen. Everything of true value in this life is difficult to come by and requires hard work, discipline and sometimes financial stresses. If becoming a citizen isn’t worth the work, then kindly show yourself the door.
The idea that citizenship should be difficult for the sake of being “valuable” ignores the real inefficiencies in the system. On average, the U.S. naturalization process takes 7-10 years, with some applicants waiting over 20 years due to backlog and country-based visa caps. According to the National Immigration Forum, there are over 9 million lawful permanent residents eligible for citizenship, many of whom face excessive fees (over $700 just for the application) and long processing delays. A difficult process isn’t the same as a fair or functional one.
Becoming a citizen should absolutely require effort and time – no one is saying it should be handed out without scrutiny. But the current system is inefficient, underfunded, and often arbitrary, making legal immigration inaccessible for many who are willing to go through the process. If citizenship is as valuable as you say, then shouldn’t we ensure the system is functional, fair, and actually allows qualified applicants to succeed instead of making them wait decades? A system this important deserves more attention and reform, not just acceptance of its flaws.
so…. (what cautiously informed said) is we might be on the wrong track so these children “yes children” should go to school and become educated to be able to to compete in this bureaucracy to change the laws/rules here rather than complain when things don’t go their way. We all need to grow up here and understand change takes time but when it is thrown in your face we will instant pitch it back. Young people are emotional and misled from their peers and social media so you should dismiss them as a whole (all crap) but on a personal side (parents,peers) should encourage them to be better as they are our next generation here. “Don’t we as parents want the next generation to be the best?” my opinion only
R.,
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Nearly everybody doesn’t acknowledge that the US citizenship process is inefficient. It works as designed! Gaining citizenship shouldn’t be a simple and fast process!!!
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In 2007, President George W. Bush supported an immigration reform plan, but it didn’t pass Congress because the American people were outraged by the plan and inundated members of Congress with phone calls, emails, and in-person visits opposing the plan.
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In 2014, President Barack H. Obama supported an immigration reform plan, but it didn’t pass Congress because the American people were outraged by the plan and inundated members of Congress with phone calls, emails, and in-person visits opposing the plan. In the first 7 months of President Obama’s first term the Democratic Party had a 60-40 supermajority in the Senate and a 257-178 majority in the House, and they could’ve passed anything they wanted, yet, they didn’t pass immigration reform because it was political suicide!!!
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In 2018, President Donald J. Trump supported an immigration reform plan that would’ve given a pathway to leagalization and citizenship to 1.8 million illegal aliens who illegally entered the United States as children, but it didn’t pass Congress because the American people were outraged by the plan and inundated members of Congress with phone calls, emails, and in-person visits opposing the plan.
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Nearly 40-years after the “1986 Reagan Amnesty,” which provided a pathway to legalization and citizenship to nearly 3-million illegal aliens, which has left such a bad taste in the mouths of American citizens that we thankfully will likely never again see such an immigration bill pass Congress!!!
This was a revealing post. It shows why we don’t let kids vote.
You have enough familiarity with issues and terms to talk about them, but your critical thinking skills are not developed, leaving you easily deceived by propaganda.
That you think Musk is making Nazi salutes and the US is on the verge of committing genocide are signs that you’ve bought into the news propaganda, that you’ve been hypnotized into seeing the world their way.
Another creation from the aftermath of WWII was the Nuremberg Code, requiring informed consent before any vaccine or treatment could be given. This code was trampled upon during Covid. And yet there were no protests from students or teachers.
As kids you’re not to be blamed for this. It shows that yes, you are informed, but only by what they want to tell you.
Yoyohop….nail on the head!
Repeating such blatant lies just proves that you are not educated but are brainwashed by your handlers to promote their anti-American agenda.
“There have been reports of immigration enforcement actions taking place in sensitive locations like churches, hospitals, and schools, places that should be sanctuaries for individuals seeking safety and assistance.”
For now, if illegal aliens who aren’t criminals (in addition to their immigration status) are being arrested, it’s the fault of elected officials and their appointees who won’t give ICE access to jails and prisons, This creates the possibility of collateral arrests when ICE has to “go to the streets”. These elected officials being in positions of power is the fault of those who voted for them, including you (if you’re old enough), and more likely your teachers. Hopefully NOT your illegal alien parents.
Your argument ignores the fact that ICE has discretion in how it enforces immigration laws. Even if local officials limit jail cooperation, ICE is not forced to arrest people at schools, hospitals, or places of worship. It chooses to. These locations are meant to protect public safety, and enforcement actions there don’t just create fear, they actively disrupt communities. When people avoid hospitals out of fear of deportation, it increases the spread of disease and strains emergency care. When parents are too afraid to send their kids to school, it harms education and child welfare. The DHS has official policies restricting enforcement in these “sensitive locations,” but there have been documented cases of arrests happening anyway.
It’s not an exaggeration, either. Multiple public health organizations, including the AMA and CDC, have warned that fear of deportation discourages people from seeking medical care, leading to untreated illnesses and higher emergency room burdens. This was especially evident during Covid-19, when undocumented individuals were less likely to get tested or vaccinated due to fear of enforcement. When people avoid preventive care, it increases the risk of disease outbreaks and strains hospitals. ICE’s choices don’t just impact individuals, they have broader consequences for public health and education.
Also, your assumption about my parents is both incorrect and irrelevant.
“Even if local officials limit jail cooperation, ICE is not forced to arrest people at schools, hospitals, or places of worship. It chooses to”
Exactly. Elections have CONSEQUENCES. Does that word trigger you?
Copy/paste? You are misinformed to the point of becoming uninformed!
Do you realize, with your “opinion” piece, which is laden with false narrative and which you so innocently but ignorantly re-spewed, you were just coerced into giving a huge salute to the old failed…. Hammer & Sickle.
Your paid “instigators” need to be fired before they completely destroy your beautiful mind, and those of the youth around you.
Calling my argument an “opinion piece” while ignoring the fact that everything I’ve stated is backed by actual evidence is just an attempt to discredit facts without addressing them. Labeling something as “propaganda” or “communist” doesn’t make it false – it just shows an unwillingness to engage with reality. Red-baiting has been used for decades to shut down discussions, from McCarthyism to modern political rhetoric, and it’s a weak substitute for an actual argument. Instead of resorting to name-calling, why not refute the facts? I’d be happy to hold an open conversation.
Ok, kid, discuss this. For arguments sake, let’s say that Elon Musk, in fact did give a Nazi salute. You imply that there should have been consequences. What should they have been? And why?
Do you actually believe he was giving his allegiance to an 80 year defunct political party? Or was he just telling the world that he was racist?
If either case were true, why would he be a vocal proponent of bringing in skilled labor from countries like India?
Is it more likely that these contradictory things are true, or that you’ve been lied to by the news – an institution whose main trick is laughingly predictable – comparing its opponents to Nazis?
Perhaps these kids should watch reruns of Room 222.
Proud of these students. Protesting is important.
Protesting can be a tool to open a door…. It won’t do you any good at all once you are inside. Once inside~~~ you have to use your own mind,not the one they lent you in school.
Even valid protesting is not as important as learning basics first…then learning to verify actualities before becoming a party to the spewing of false narratives. Be a roll model Bill Bob.
So proud of my high school student for being part of this protest. Hope for the future. FDT
You are proud that your child broke the law and supported other criminals. I knew standards were low in todays world, but even that sounds off to me.
I would support my child in making a decision to protest, but I would expect my child to accept the consequences as well.
Was privileged, during my 45 years of employment, to work with industrial electricians from Venezuela, Russia, Poland, Korea, Chile and Mexico. What they all had in common, they were here LEGALLY, an impressive work ethic, were articulate in English and made a living wage.
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Wondering how many protesting students could explain difference between simple and compound interest? Importance of saving for retirement and effect of compound interest on retirement savings? Can they balance a checking account?
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Troubling is many high school students knowledge world and domestic events, is limited to one sided news pushed out to them on hand held devices and what teachers impart.
Whatever. Once you get into the Real World ie working, paying for your own housing, utilities and taxes……….You’ll see things a Whole lot different.
They did that when trump was elected the first time. Glad to see it continues. At YV, there was a teacher of Hispanic kids who showed up the day after the 2016 election wearing bright red lipstick to celebrate. On their way out of school, the kids all knocked on her door. She subsequently transferred to another school, I think to teach younger kids
Why doesn’t ICE roll up and just deport all these people?
Jj,
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The students who were protesting were/are under no obligation to identify themselves to ICE or reveal their immigration status to ICE. Our system of deportation isn’t as easy as you think it is.
Why is it that we ignore some laws but enforce others? It seems when those who virtue signal are the ones who are the loudest on some laws and remain silent on others
Illegal is illegal. if you don’t like it, then change the laws. But do it legally.
To the student protesters – if you want to protest – fine. But you had better understand why, and the ramifications of doing so. Life isn’t as simple as you think.
Teach the students how to make a change. Who to contact how to write, fax and communicate intelligently. PROTESTS are so out dated and don’t work unless you want to make everyone mad.