I am a Florida public school teacher. Today, my entire class got up at noon and walked out. We'd heard whispers that it might happen. We'd seen it on the news and all over social media. I must admit, though, it caught me by surprise. I've been teaching 29 years. This was a first.
The protest was organized by students, apparently. They saw memes and flyers online and a few students in our building spread the word. So, when the clock struck noon today, they followed their plan. One student got up and the whole lot followed. For about thirty minutes, they stood on the bus ramp in silence. No one spoke of why they walked out. No one made speeches about gun control. No one prayed out loud. They just stood there in silence.
I watched them from afar as tears rolled down my face. They were tears of frustration. They were tears of anxiety. They were tears of fear.
I am at a loss for words these days.