High school students turn to political activism after being subjected to the most horrific experience--a shooting at their school that leaves 17 of their friends and mentors maimed to death by semi-automatic gunfire. And how do we, as a nation, respond?
Many of us dry our tears and march beside them in protest. But we are not the loudest voices.
A political candidate calls one of the student leaders a "skinhead lesbian."
Media personalities accuse the children of being paid "crisis actors."
A popular talk show host tweets about what a loser one of the students is because he's been rejected by three colleges.
The President of the United States leaves Washington on the day of the largest youth-led protest since the Vietnam War, and his itchy Twitter finger goes suddenly limp.
The bowels of the right wing movement come up with stories ranging from the student activists being "unrepentant bulliers" of the shooter, to the young people using this tragedy as an opportunity for self-promotion.
THESE are the loudest voices. THESE are the voices that speak of what our nation has become.
Our politics are toxic. And we have no qualms whatsoever against pouring that acid on anyone who dares to oppose our personal views. Including our own children.
We are surely going to hell.
No. We're already there.
