Oaxaca Teacher Strike

In May of 2006, after a long history of infrastructure problems with the educational system in Oaxaca, Mexico, teachers there decided to go on strike. Although most media there was run by the government and did not support the strike or teachers and did not portray the truth of the situation to the public, one radio station- RADIO PLANTON- did support the teachers and their cause. They explained the situation and had teachers come speak on air. Of course, this did not fair well with the government. The police (run by the government) took over the radio station and arrested those there. This sparked a sort of peaceful revolt by the teachers, mothers, and others in support of their children's education. They began to take over other stations and speak about issues truthfully. They marched and rallied peacefully. However, the government responded violently. The teachers, parents and organizations had been bonded together by the cause, and the government knew that if they pulled apart these groups they could defeat them more easily. They began to tell outright lies about groups to try and do this, but the cause stayed together. The media was showing the public different sides of the argument for the first time. Because of this, the public started to get informed and started to make up their minds on what they thought, instead of the government only telling them one side of the story. People knew things that they had never known before through the media. They would not be satisfied with not knowing again.

This documentary was extremely well made. The story was told in such a way that was truthful, thought provoking and real. It made me feel like i was there. The reason for the documentary was at first to follow the story of the teachers and their struggle to be recognized by the government of Oaxaca. As the documentary continued, it seemed like the focus moved from that toward the media. First how the teachers used it to inform the public, and then how the government had been using the media to stop the public from really knowing the truth about any situation, to trying and suppress thought and opinion of the Oaxacan people. Right after the film, I was annoyed that the documentary went in this direction. I thought that it was another example of how an educational issue was being pushed to the side for another cause. However, the more I thought about it, I realized the media is another form of education. If used the correct way, the media can educate the people of Oaxaca to make their own decisions about their future and what they want to fight for. Also, to gain support for the teachers' cause, the media needs to be in place to support them. So in reality, all of these issues are mingled together. The teachers are still struggling today, but from what I have seen in the documentary of the Oaxacan people and how smart, determined and caring they are, I think they will continue to use the media in a positive way to educate the public on important issues and keep a positive attitude for their cause.