This stretch of beach here in South Carolina is far from empty: fallen trees, ragged stumps, and scattered limbs litter the sand. They are all mute witnesses to the devastation wreaked by two massive hurricanes in two years.
At first glance, the beach is a mess. But take the time to walk among the fallen, and you begin to see the beauty in each one.
We are all witnesses in this life. We witness our own stories, and those of our family and friends. We remember the moments: the jokes, that vacation gone bad, the wedding with a wonderful dance floor full of friends and family. We pick up wounds that turn into scars, and we keep going.
Those teenagers from Parkland are bearing witness to what they have lived through. They are not silent, waiting for the adults in the room to change things. They are fighting now for what they believe is the right course of action.
I’m dedicating my last photo of the Witness Tree to the students of Marjorie Stoneham Douglas High School, for speaking out and giving hope that we can indeed change things for the better.
Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly.
Mahatma Gandhi
Powerful post.
Well said, and yes: Proud of the way the kids are saying “enough”…about a lot of big issues. Knew that it would finally happen, just a horrible catalyst.
Let’s back them up with votes, yes! ✊✊✊✊✊✊❤️
The activism of the marchers gives me hope for the future, too. Let’s make our votes in November count.
The Witness Tree is a lovely photo and a powerful dedication to the student’s anti-gun violence movement.
Annie:
A most thoughtful gesture. The photos are quite pretty, too.
Youth has a resilience. If they persevere though to Fall, I suspect quite a few national and local politicians will pay the price for preaching that the Second Amendment is sancrosanct. No Constitutional right in the Bill of Rights is beyond common sense restrictions. The Supreme Court has ruled that smoking peyote during a religious service is not protected by the separation of church and state. It also held that shouting “fire” in a crowded theatre is not protected free speech.
We so-called adults should support our children and grandchildren in this. I find myself more optimistic about this country’s future.
And now the NRA is publicly attacking these kids in their customary disgusting manner. Your photos are a balm from the weekly onslaught of hate mongering and ignorance.