Back to School

These are the signs we held on Monday morning at the Metro stop

We’re several years removed from worrying about getting our own kids back to school on the first day, but for thousands of families in metro DC it’s back-to-school time. Inside the Beltway lots of kids use public transit for their rides to and from school, and with a militarized police force arrayed across the transit system – especially in Metro stations in DC – these kids are not riding alongside Mr. Rogers in the neighborhood of make-believe or getting on a magic school bus with Ms. Frizzle.

I joined an effort to soften the scene on Monday morning along with a bunch of clergy colleagues from across the region. We showed up at Metro stations in clergy shirts and holding posters bearing messages such as “welcome back students” and “have a great year!” 

A clergy friend from out of town joined me at the Foggy Bottom station where we welcomed DC Public School students and students at George Washington University along with the thousands of Monday morning DC commuters coming through the station at rush hour – well, hours, as we were there a bit after 7:00 and stayed til a bit after 9:00.

There were at least four National Guard troopers patrolling the platform while we were there, along with Metro police and DC police. 

My friend and I got countless smiles and dozens of “thank yous” from folks passing through, and at least one clenched fist power salute. We got asked at least a half dozen times if people could take our picture, so we might be out there on social media somewhere. Quite a few folks stopped to express gratitude for our presence and several of those specifically thanked us for being a counter-presence to the military forces present throughout the city, and especially at Metro stations.

Following our stint at the station, we drove from Foggy Bottom over to the SW waterfront to meet up with some other colleagues to talk about additional responses to the occupation of our city. On the short drive over we got stopped on Constitution Avenue for the president’s motorcade to roll past on its way to the White House. 

We were stopped in the traffic well back from the cross street so no one in the motorcade could have noticed our less-than-friendly gestures. I don’t regret them. 

I do regret not getting out of my car and trying to gin up a “Whose streets? Our streets!” chant to serenade the man who has orchestrated this military occupation of an American city. 

Happy back-to-school day.