Interrupting Chaos -- Turning Disappointment into Opportunity

Four years ago, we were at the beginning of the worst part of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our lives were terribly disrupted, including those of us in prison. But the interruptions mostly affected the normal activities of our daily lives. For others, though, some of the most important events of their lives were interrupted or cancelled. 

Some people's planned weddings were interrupted, funerals had to be changed or cancelled, and graduations had to be cancelled. Students only graduate from high school once, and from college most only graduate once. My own college graduation ceremony was postponed by two years!

But the high school graduating class of 2020, the same year as my college graduation, had their ceremonies cancelled, and they didn't get a "make-up" when the restrictions lifted. They simply missed out on one of the most important events of their young lives. 

That same graduating class graduated from college this year, and many of their ceremonies were this past weekend. And again, many of their ceremonies were either cancelled or interrupted, but this time by protestors. 

I can't imagine the incredible disappointment to miss out on a high school graduation, and then four years later to have one's college graduation ceremony overshadowed (at best) by protests. It's incredibly unfair. 

I'm sure this graduating class is resilient and will find a way to turn these disappointments into opportunities. In fact, they deserve an extra "hurrah!" from us for their tenacity! I know my voice isn't very loud in this context, but let me just say, I'm SUPER proud of these students who have pushed through hardship to study hard and to finish well. 

CONGRATULATIONS!

As far as the protesters go, don't get me wrong. I'm a rigorous supporter of free speech. I believe that people have a right to say things that others may even find repulsive. But they don't have a right to take the attention from a very important day to do it (let alone to do so violently or destructively). There's a proper time, a proper place, and a proper way to stand up for your beliefs. 

I hope this graduating class is passionate for justice, and I hope they are quick to raise their voices for the powerless. But I also hope that, through the experience of their own disappointments, they learn that they can fight for justice for one without causing injustice for another. 

It'll be exciting in the coming years to see how these young people change the world for the better. I have a feeling they, more than any others in recent years, are best positioned to take a balanced and compassionate approach to fighting for justice and to bringing calm to the world's chaos, wherever their lives lead them. 

Congratulations, graduating class of 2024! Go, and change the world!