To the voters of tomorrow who will be taking a mid-morning walk today: good for you, bully! Have fun.
To the teachers, administrators, parents and most of all media personalities: as someone who has actually stood toe-to-teeth with the government —the place you are rabidly trying to send your children— well, you are cowards of the worst type. In a digital age where all attention-seeking behavior is caught on camera, and preserved indefinitely, the adult-encouragement is nothing more than using child soldiers as cannon fodder in your political battles.

In one of Sunday’s fishwrappers an editorial comes to a close by stating that students walking out of class are not a disruption to the school day. Editor Dennis Lyons is leaning on the US Supreme Court decision in Tinker vs Des Moines Independent Community School district. The landmark case determined that students’ rights do not end at the schoolhouse door.

In particular, Mr Lyons is referencing these lines:

But conduct by the student, in class or out of it, which for any reason — whether it stems from time, place, or type of behavior — materially disrupts classwork or involves substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others is, of course, not immunized by the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech.

Objectively, the law is set. Students cannot walk out of class under cover of the 1st Amendment. Special permission granted by spineless administrators  and the braying of their parents, maybe, but not with a Constitutional protection.

Mr Lyons’ argument is utter hogwash. An illogical and irrational statement that, since its coming from the top, betrays the political shillery of a media outlet desperately seeking subscribers. Like the teachers, administrators, and parents demanding the event was organized by the kids, Mr Lyons is seeking to cripple these young patriots by exploiting their trust and naiveté.

The purpose of protest is not standing on a street corner checking dates when the next Wine & Book Club meeting can gather. Protest is impactful because of the fire hoses, batons, dogs, and arrests. As echo-chamber-social-gatherings, noise making, labeled protests for the happy media coverage they received have failed to gain popular support —but, indeed much laughter at the genitals they wore on their heads— those desperate for attention have adopted a new tactic: hold up children as human shields, anyone who disagrees clearly hates children.

The young people walking out of school will be a wide mixture of some who truly believe the message and certainly another group using the opportunity to miss a bit of class. The unfortunate part, given realities of teenage life, is that either walking out or staying in school will almost certainly give rise to an amount of bullying. A bullying that the adults pushing this event have not just encouraged but openly engage in as their typical tactic.

The adult groups who organized the event, [Bored Wealthy White] Moms Demand [Attention… oh, and something about] gun control along with the Women [Who Agree With Us] March are the adult versions of play-yard bullies. Their tactic is to use threats, intimidation, and harassment to anyone who criticizes their message… because how could anyone hate Moms and Women? See a trend?

The unfortunate part is that these civically minded students, and those who are going along for the ride, are not just being used as shields for the cowardly adults in the room. They are being crippled; these students are being denied the very real political input they are demanding and the reality that comes with it. Civil Disobedience is, after all, not disobedience if you have a permission slip from your mommy.

If these bored parents are willing to exploit their children, teachers and administrators who are rabid to bring their politics into the classroom, and media pundits Goebbeling to sell their papers were sincere in their encouragement they would be telling their kids to wear their detention as a badge of honor.

The reality of pushing back against the system will arrive in these young peoples’ lives. However, for the adults who have lived comfortably in their cocoons of non-accountability, hiding behind gender or political affiliation, the accountability for using child soldiers will exist –at a minimum– as a stain on your souls.