“Oh, let us turn our thoughts today / To Martin Luther King / And recognize that there are ties between us / All men and women living on the Earth / Ties of hope and love / Sister and brotherhood / We are bound together by the task / That stands before us / And the road that lies ahead / We are bound, and we are bound.” — James Taylor
No, it’s not Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but protests, civil disobedience, and what it means to stand up for a cause have been on my mind lately. First, to be clear, this isn’t about politics for me. It’s not about taking sides or figuring out who is right and who is wrong. If I could cover all that in a column here, I’d be running the world, and at last check, I’m barely running my own house. For me, it’s about looking out for one another.
It’s graduation season, and for a particular group of students who are graduating from college, it’s a long-awaited milestone. Many soon-to-be college graduates from the class of 2024 were high-school seniors in the Class of 2020, and we all remember the devastation of canceled commencements. But, since then, thousands of students have persevered through a pandemic and will get their walk across the stage. It’s finally their big moment, and they deserve it.
They do not deserve more cancellations, more disruptions, and more stress. They do not deserve metal detectors and bag searches. They do not deserve to have one more milestone trashed. Do you know what some pundits are calling the class of 2024? The “bummer generation.” Born in the shadow of 9/11, a childhood in which war was a daily feature on the news, and then a pandemic that hijacked much of their high-school senior year. Sure, previous generations have had similar events, but those men and women are now called “the Greatest Generation.”
I’ve spoken to some of my Jewish friends, who know way more than I do about the conflict in the Middle East, and I’m grateful for what they’ve told me. I’ve spoken to others who understand and know Palestinian culture and history, and they, too, have educated me on some key points. I don’t have all the answers, but I know this: The protests are taking away something precious from students who have already lost too much.
To those in tents on college campuses, how about this for an idea? Pack it up. Seriously, go home, take a nap, wash your face, and find a better way to make your point. If you think you have real answers for this issue, posting on social media from a tent won’t get it done. You don’t have to stay silent; no one is saying you can’t speak out, but time and place matter.
You’re not the first generation to think you know better. Look at what your parents and grandparents did when they saw injustice. Out of the protests of the early 1960s came civil rights. From the demonstrations in the 1970s came the end of the Vietnam War. In the 1980s, social justice advocates helped end apartheid.
So far, the campus tent villages have achieved nothing but more loss, disappointment, and division for young adults who have endured more than their fair share. They do not deserve to be called the bummer generation; their accomplishments matter and should not be overshadowed (again) by world events.
Dr. King linked arms in solidarity with leaders and citizens and peacefully marched. He didn’t throw rocks or destroy property. He spoke eloquently and inspired people to seek justice, and he did it in front of fire hoses, dogs, and billy clubs, not from a campus blanket fort with pillows and snacks.
To those protesting, how you do something matters just as much as your cause. Please keep learning, talking to others, and trying to find a way to improve the world. Do you have a point to make? Then make it intelligently, and be mindful of how your actions impact others. In 2020, today’s college seniors didn’t throw a tantrum; they carried on. Don’t cancel them; celebrate them. Spring break is over, kids; fold your tent and find a way to do something that matters.
Brenda Kelley Kim has lived in Marblehead for 50 years, and is an author, freelance writer, and mother of three. Her column appears weekly.