‘I stand with hope,’ says teacher

 
Today a high school was the scene of yet another horrific and despicable parade of violence.
Also today 900 high schoolers gathered in Walt Disney Concert Hall to become a powerful force of beauty through song.
Today Flint remains without water, Puerto Rico without power, unarmed black men are still being shot by police, and bullets pour through students’ bodies like lead rivers. Guys. What have we done?
Today I stared out into the darkened concert hall and saw 900 lights piercing the blackness. “See how they shine,” they sang. “Like a bridge over troubled water,” they roared, “I will lay me down.”
In spite of the overwhelming ugliness, I still believe in beauty. Maybe there’s a bullet out there with my name on it. Till then, I stand with hope.
— From a Facebook post by Jessie Flasschoen, a high school choir director. Used with permission.