We spent a lot of time this morning adjusting the BikeE’s brakes. They wore considerably on our wild rides in Pennsylvania. Ohio is much flatter, but there still are a few hills that require good brakes.

Atop one of those hills in Akron is Archibishop Hoban High School. We had the pleasure of addressing some of Greg Milo’s and Judith Mohan’s juniors and seniors this morning. We talked about refugees, asylum law, immigration in general, and the work of Human Rights First.

The students are bright, alert, diverse in appearance (unlike the people I saw in PA), and their questions suggested that they have open minds about immigration issues. That’s important. There is a lot of loud talk and misinformation floating around. These kids soon will be making decisions for the rest of us. We want those decisions to be based on reality, not on some tinpot pol’s talking points.

Kids got the country to reduce litter along our highways. Their accepting attitudes have reduced racism, sexism, and homophobia. Maybe once their eyes are opened to the facts, they’ll be the ones to help us reduce xenophobia in America.

Below are some pics of us outside the high school (that’s Saint Joseph next to me in the first one) and in front of the students; a shot of the Goodyear building in Akron; and some photos of the flat Ohio countryside.