It was late. My husband sat on the couch, finally eating his dinner after a long day at work. I chatted him up from the love seat, sharing the daily details of our kids and home. I told him about the toad my daughter found in the flower bed and how my son actually cleaned a bathroom. Then, the conversation shifted to the #MarchForOurLives, and he asked a serious question.
"Do you really think those kids are doing it all? The writing and the planning and stuff?"
"Yeah. I really think they are. I think the world is finally seeing teenagers the way we teachers see them every day. It's amazing, right?"
It was an important question he asked, one on the minds of so many adults and possibly even other teens at this moment. Are the students from Parkland that eloquent? That energized? That persuasive?
Yes. Yes, they are.
I'm sure there are many adults assisting them with the logistical aspects of planning the grand scale events they've pulled off. I've listened to multiple NPR interviews with the students and their parents, and their families are heavily involved. Some parents, even, are struggling with it all. As a parent myself, I can't imagine the difficulties and conflict of being proud of a child who is voicing her opinions while fearing for her safety and life, all after fearing for her safety and life at her own school, riddled with bullets.
Yet, I do sincerely believe that these kids are speaking from their hearts and their tragic experiences. And I do believe that these kids are eloquent enough and passionate enough to speak publicly as they have. Why? Because I see those kids every day.
I see it in the kid who wrote to her family, apologizing to them for the poor choices she made that put them all in tough situations. She acknowledged the pain she's caused and pledged to do better. She is already doing better. She was eloquent and passionate too.
I see it in the kid who spoke openly of his orientation, never fearing that our class would question or judge or harass. He opened doors for students whose experiences are different. He was eloquent and passionate too.
Your personal stance on the gun debate aside, I ask you to take a moment to listen to the teens currently speaking out. Listen to their word choice and style. Notice their rhetoric and tone. They are smart. They are rehearsed. They are prepared.
And they are our future.
"Do you really think those kids are doing it all? The writing and the planning and stuff?"
"Yeah. I really think they are. I think the world is finally seeing teenagers the way we teachers see them every day. It's amazing, right?"
It was an important question he asked, one on the minds of so many adults and possibly even other teens at this moment. Are the students from Parkland that eloquent? That energized? That persuasive?
Yes. Yes, they are.
I'm sure there are many adults assisting them with the logistical aspects of planning the grand scale events they've pulled off. I've listened to multiple NPR interviews with the students and their parents, and their families are heavily involved. Some parents, even, are struggling with it all. As a parent myself, I can't imagine the difficulties and conflict of being proud of a child who is voicing her opinions while fearing for her safety and life, all after fearing for her safety and life at her own school, riddled with bullets.
Yet, I do sincerely believe that these kids are speaking from their hearts and their tragic experiences. And I do believe that these kids are eloquent enough and passionate enough to speak publicly as they have. Why? Because I see those kids every day.
I see it in the kid who wrote to her family, apologizing to them for the poor choices she made that put them all in tough situations. She acknowledged the pain she's caused and pledged to do better. She is already doing better. She was eloquent and passionate too.
I see it in the kid who spoke openly of his orientation, never fearing that our class would question or judge or harass. He opened doors for students whose experiences are different. He was eloquent and passionate too.
Your personal stance on the gun debate aside, I ask you to take a moment to listen to the teens currently speaking out. Listen to their word choice and style. Notice their rhetoric and tone. They are smart. They are rehearsed. They are prepared.
And they are our future.
Comments
Post a Comment