In a typical high school civics class, students learn about local and federal government and media literacy, as well as citizenship and participation. They might learn how to contact their local representative, use social media for advancing a cause, or debate an issue they feel strongly about. But few students鈥攁nd only a small fraction of adult citizens for that matter鈥攑articipate in a highly contentious national debate.
Mere weeks after the Parkland, Fla., high school shooting that killed 17 students and educators, the news cycle would normally be winding down. But this tragedy doesn鈥檛 seem to be fading from memory quite as fast as previous school shootings. The reason is obvious: Parkland鈥檚 teenage students aren鈥檛 staying quiet.
As mass shootings become a disturbing cultural norm, the country鈥檚 reaction seems to follow a familiar pattern. America collectively gasps. We watch footage of children filing out of a school, arms raised. We rage on Twitter. We share political memes, shaming or congratulating the nation鈥檚 lawmakers for their 鈥渢houghts and prayers鈥� refrain. We make donations to whichever side we鈥檙e on. And then we move on. Until more bullets fly.
Of course, for the victims of these tragedies and their communities, the healing process is slower. Communities retreat into grief, as the name of the town slips away from those unaffected. (Can you name all the school shooting locations this year alone?) There are funerals and candlelight vigils, where families mourn in isolation.
But last month鈥檚 shooting feels different. The now-recognizable Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students and their young supporters have not retreated, but rather advanced on politicians in Washington in one hell of a real-life civics lesson. They鈥檝e engaged in national speeches, lie-ins, walk-outs, interviews, and are planning the March for Our Lives gun-control rally in the nation鈥檚 capital this month. With the battle cry 鈥淣ot One More,鈥� the students are demanding 鈥渢hat a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues.鈥�
This is a generation rising up and doing what we鈥檝e taught them to do in the face of perceived injustice."
Stoneman Douglas high school senior Chris Grady, 19, told reporters in the days after the shooting, 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not with us, you鈥檙e against us, and you鈥檙e against saving the lives of innocent children. And we鈥檙e going to be voting you out,鈥� he said. He seems to understand a civics lesson educators want all students to embrace: Voting matters. And when our representatives fail to represent us, we can use our votes for change.
What鈥檚 disturbing is that a simple online search of #Parkland reveals some pretty harsh words from adults hiding behind computers, aimed at grieving children. Last week, Twitter did a sweep to get rid of the pro-gun messages Russian trolls have reportedly pumped out. But others on social media have accused the victims of being 鈥渁ctors鈥� or 鈥渃oached by the left.鈥� Some have derided the students as immature, emotional, uninformed, and incapable of being the voice of this debate.
What these people fail to acknowledge, political differences aside, is that these are teenagers. Teenagers, who just last week were learning about civics in a classroom, only to be thrust upon the national stage in a political fight for their lives. These aren鈥檛 practiced politicians debating issues with an earpiece full of statistics and background facts. Sure, the recent speeches by Parkland students may lack some polish, but these students have gone from regular high school students to insta-famous voices of a contentious movement. Those who discount students鈥� voices as too young or too na茂ve underestimate the power of young people with strong ideas.
This is a generation rising up and doing what we鈥檝e taught them to do in the face of perceived injustice: Fight back. We should be proud of students who are putting their understanding of local and federal government, media literacy, citizenship, and participation into action. As a teacher in New York City鈥檚 public schools, I hope my students, who have learned about great thinkers and writers and use tools like Twitter to make their voices heard, will follow suit.
This millennial landslide represents a possible tectonic shift in stagnant ground. And at the epicenter of it all are teenagers just old enough to bear witness to our last election, Ferguson, the Women鈥檚 March, Charlottesville, and the president鈥檚 Twitter account. They鈥檙e doing what we as adults are not doing very effectively鈥攃utting through the crap with direct action.
Educators, don鈥檛 miss the opportunity to make this a teachable moment in your classroom. Read articles with your students. Watch CNN鈥檚 February Town Hall meeting with lawmakers, educators, and students. Have students examine all sides through discussion and debate. Guide students to form well-informed opinions, and encourage them to write to their representatives and community leaders.
Witnessing our nation鈥檚 young people lead any national conversation is significant. I鈥檓 devastated that they have to fight in the first place, and yet so proud to see that they are.
