Across Maryland and throughout much of the country, thousands of students walked out of class Wednesday morning to honor the 17 people killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. At some venues, entire student bodies massed, the names of the victims were read aloud, short speeches were made, and students soon after returned to class. At others, there was little, if any, participation. And at some, there was an expectation of punishment for those teens who left class without permission, defying school or systemwide bans on participating in the planned nationwide protest.
All of which is perfectly fine. It is heartening to see a generation stretching its political wings and seeking a remedy to the roll call of recent mass shootings. In other schools, there were assemblies or in-class activities meant to raise many of the same issues.
And in yet others, participation in protests was banned, perhaps because of concern, ironically, for student safety and disruptive behavior; perhaps because administrators felt uncomfortable with the issue of gun control or a concern for how emotional these issues have become for students.
As for students who may face detention or a similar fate for walking out of class when they were told by school authorities not to do so? Good. As long as the punishment is proportionate to the offense, it is perfectly fine for a school system to impose rules for conduct and then punish students for defying them. And here's the best part: Students should proudly accept those consequences. They could scarcely be getting a better real-life lesson in what social protest is all about.
From the Boston Tea Party to the modern Civil Rights movement, civil disobedience has never been without adverse consequences. Henry Thoreau, Susan B. Anthony, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., they all took their lumps standing up (or sitting down) for what they believed in.
Are the students who walked out of class Wednesday morning serious about doing something about mass shootings, particularly advocating for restrictions on gun ownership where they face a formidable foe in the National Rifle Association? If so, it will take a lot more than an extended recess; it will take commitment, it will require a great deal of homework, and it will mean sacrifice and doggedness.
Editorial on 03/16/2018