This week schools across America staged walkouts to protest gun violence. As with everything these days, people and the media began drawing political lines. Most people support the right of students to express their anger over the proliferation of gun violence in schools. However, others criticized the walkout as nothing more than insubordination and poor political theater. The fact is no matter where you stand politically, peaceful protest is one of the cornerstones of our democracy. In the sixties when Martin Luther King, Jr. staged marches to draw attention to civil rights, there were those who thought he should be incarcerated for stirring up trouble. Today, we erect monuments in his honor. Whether or not they are successful in the change they are seeking, the young students from Florida who organized the walkout gave their peers from across America a powerful lesson on how a movement is made.
Almost everyone, including Democrats, were expecting last Tuesday’s midterm election results to heavily favor Republicans. Many predicted a “red wave” where they would pick up 50-60 seats in the House and 3-4 in the Senate. Joe Rogan said the red wave that is coming will be like the elevator doors opening in the horror film The Shining.