I wanted to know, genuinely, if our three kids had heard any talk about the walkout – planned nationwide as either a call for gun control or in honor of the 17 students and staff killed by a young gunman in Parkland, Florida, earlier this year – at their own schools here in Idaho.
Oldest, a high schooler, had seen posters about it at school, but didn’t plan to participate himself. He’s not much up to the social scene, so this was not surprising.
Middle child, also a high schooler, had heard nothing about it, despite the presence of the posters. “There are too many posters on the walls. I don’t read them,” she said.
Youngest, at middle school, had heard there was a protest planned at his school, and he wanted to go. Because unlike his brother, he is wildly social.
Both the Idaho State Board of Education and the local school district said they believed the safest place for students at the time was in school with their teachers, but they recognized students’ rights protected under the First Amendment, so they would allow the protests without punishment.
As expected, the oldest did not participate.
The middle child was in the thick of things, watching spittle-emitting from protesters and counterprotesters. Clearly, they have learned much from the older generations.
Third child attended the protest and saw nothing but friends hanging out with friends, with no discussion of the issue that had prompted the walkout in the first place.
That’s the First Amendment in action, we told our middle childhood. Freedom of expression is messy, often nasty.
What will come of it, aside from headlines for a day?
If it’s only for a day, then nothing. Nothing will come of it. Past protests, with their spittle-emitting, indifference, social showoffiness and all, took sustained action, not one 17-minute protest, no matter how well-received, to accomplish any action.
No comments:
Post a Comment