March
The 1st Amendment right of people to peacefully assemble, to speak freely, to address or petition the government for redress of grievances.
America has a rich, and sometimes volatile, history of marching to redress inequality. Notable: the marches of the civil rights movement, protesting the Vietnam war, LBGT rights, and, the biggest march in US history, the one day Women’s March on Washington in January 2017 in which an estimated 4.2 million people gathered.
Saturday March 24, marks the first time that the youth of our Nation marched together in the Many Lives Matter protest.
I am mightily heartened about the future of my country when I hear these articulate, passionate young people demanding a change in the status quo of political lethargy.
I invite you all to read a letter in LET THE PUBLIC SPEAK section of Saturday’s Press Democrat, written by Peyton Krzyzek a student at Santa Rosa High School. It powerfully and poignantly captures the fear our young people endure everyday in an environment that should be providing them with the best education possible in a safe and secure manner.
Ironically, to me anyway, in the same issue on page A10, is an article about protecting classes with rocks. David Helsel, superintendent of the Blue Mountain School District in northeast Pennsylvania, has equipped each classroom with a five-gallon bucket of river rocks. This arsenal is described as ‘last ditch‘ option for students trapped and hiding under desks. Rather than being helpless targets of an automatic weapon in the hands of a crazed killer, these kids can fight back by standing up and throwing rocks at their assailant. Helsel said, “Obviously a rock against a gun isn’t a fair fight, but it is better than nothing.”
Perhaps we as a Nation should rethink our position on armaments. Give the Secret Service buckets of rocks to protect the President and Congress. Likewise our Police and Sheriffs departments throughout the country. And arm our military with tons of rocks instead of guns. Armored tanks could shoot rocks at the enemy, our Air Force could drop rock bombs, missiles could be armed with rock heads, not to mention a whole new era of rock(et) launchers.
It is ridiculous to imagine. Yet, this is considered a feasible, realistic way to protect our children in the classroom?
The young people behind the Many Lives Matter movement are becoming eligible to vote. Indeed, in some states where the voting age is 18, they will be going to the polls this year.
If these young adults sustain their passion, and I believe they will, change will come; lethargy and self-serving duplicity may no longer be the norm on Capitol Hill.
