As diversity in the U.S increases, so do confrontations with the police. In tough situations, we tend to forget to stay calm.

     Although we learn about them over and over again in social study classes, we tend to forget the most important part of being an American citizen – our rights and the amendments that protect us.

     Lorna Soto, an Eaglecrest Spanish teacher, recently became involved with a group called Colorado People’s Alliance (COPA). COPA is a member-based organization that helps with everything  from economic justice to climate justice to immigration justice to citizenship classes.

     According to their website, they “strive to make Colorado for all people.”

     Recently, a video on Twitter of a policeman circulated. The 2 minute clip was shot from the point of view of a lawyer/Uber driver, recording the cop say that he was not allowed to film anymore according to a new law that passed, which was a complete and utter lie (Lying Cop Doesn’t Know Uber Driver Is Actually a Lawyer).

     It’s situations like these that have allowed COPA  to offer training classes for teachers to educate students on rights.

     COPA’s website states that, “Trump has made it clear that he’ll be targeting communities of color through more aggressive policing tactics and has already made moves attacking our refugee and immigrant communities.”

     Though COPA is already working to combat Trump and take the offensive on all of these issues, it’s also important that we learn how to navigate the road ahead of us. Because of that, we think it’s important that our communities know what our rights are and be prepared for increased interactions with law enforcement.”

     “In this meeting there were educators from all over the state of Colorado and many were very concerned about the divisive climate we were experiencing in our nation.

     I personally wanted to be informed on how to help all students, especially those who are immigrants or members of minority groups,” Mrs. Soto explained.

     So, with her new training, Mrs. Soto brought a crucial information to help Raptors at EHS. Soto created a presentation called Know Your Rights (KYR) to heighten our know knowledge and remind of us of our constitutional rights.

     “The KYR presentation is to inform individuals about their constitutional rights and to teach them how to interact with law enforcement personnel (officers) in a polite manner. I stress the understanding of the Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments. The Fourth Amendment protects us against unjustified interrogation, arrest or searches. The Fifth Amendment guarantees that every person has the right to remain silent, and the Fourteenth guarantees protection against discrimination. All people are equally protected no matter their nationality, appearance, language spoken, gender, age, disability or religion,”      commented Soto.

     It is very important  that if you are being unjustly accused, you know what to say to protect yourself is very important.

     “All students should know how to react in a calm and informed manner with the police. For instance, knowing that you should never touch an officer or run away from him or her sounds basic, but when afraid and/or angry, this might be the course of action some people take,” Mrs. Soto explains.

     Mrs. Soto believes her advice can affect students positively.  “I can inform teenagers on how to correctly interact with the police, or I can inform someone without legal status on what their rights are and how to prepare for potentially interacting with an immigration officer and/or deportation.”

     With the passing of her knowledge through her presentation, Mrs. Soto hopes “students to build confidence regarding their rights as citizens and hopefully never be intimidated or mislead by anyone.”