#WalkUp vs. #WalkOut

I'm not a protestor by nature. I tend to shy away from crowds and the potential for mob mentality. But I recognize that the world I was born into would not have existed without protest. I would not have grown up where I grew up without the legwork and legal work of others. In general, I respect protests. Thus, I was not bothered by the talk of #WalkOut¹.

Unfortunately, when I first skimmed a post about #WalkUp, I cringed. It was framed in direct opposition to #WalkOut, discouraging students from protesting and encouraging them instead to be kind to others. Basically an anti-bullying commercial one might see on Nickelodeon.

Thing is, to promote Kindness and Compassion as the anthesis to protest is devalue them. They are states of heart, which, when cultivated daily, come to inform an individual's politics and help form political action. But Kindness and Compassion are not political statements. Or at the very least, they are not the opposite of protest.

Fortunately, I came across a #WalkUp post that made me smile. In tribute to those who were slain, students were tasked with leaving notes of appreciation for 15 of their peers and 3 teachers. Everyone in the school received a note. It was a sweet and touching gesture.

Hopefully, for those students and others around the nation, #WalkUp will be more than a one-day affair. Hopefully, students will cultivate Kindness and Compassion by making a habit of expressing – and demonstrating – that everyone is valuable.

1. #WalkOut was a nationwide 17-minute protest marking an anniversary of a mass shooting at a Florida high school, and calling for the government to attempt something rational with regard to gun access in our country.