As J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Not all who wander are lost.” Gen Alpha is giving us hope, in of all places, Massachusetts. Of course, the legacy media is painting it as though it was a disrespectful hate crime instead of a legitimate protest. Boston.com practically had the vapors:

According to a letter to parents from Marshall Simonds Middle School Principal Cari Purchase, the incident took place during a school-approved spirit day celebrating Pride month on Friday, June 2. The spirit day was requested and sponsored by Spectrum Club — a student group for LGBTQ+ students and allies.

As part of the event, the letter said, Spectrum Club decorated the school with handmade “Happy Pride Month” signs and educational posters with messages such as “Why it’s not ok to say ‘That’s so gay’.” The club members also put up rainbow streamers and Pride flag banners, handed out rainbow stickers, and invited students and faculty to wear rainbow clothing.

But throughout the day, some students showed their disdain for the event in a number of ways. The letter said students were seen “being inappropriate” with the stickers and tearing down the banners and signs.

Other students tried to intimidate faculty and students showing support for Pride through glares, chanted “U.S.A. are my pronouns” in the halls, and wore red, white, and blue clothes with face paint in protest of the event, the letter said.

A definition of “being inappropriate” would have been helpful. Would it rate as simply putting a sticker on your forehead or butt, or baring your fake breast in the White House Rose Garden?

The local Boston News 7 WHDH was a little more nuanced and factual.

Parents and community members spoke up at a meeting of the Burlington Select Board Monday after an incident at the Marshall Simonds Middle School last week.

The incident happened on Friday when Principal Cari Perchase said “some students had independently organized a counter message to Pride Spirit Day.”

“This became evident in the lunchroom, where several groups of students wore red, white, blue, or black, including face paint,” Perchase wrote in a letter to families.

Perchase said stickers, banners and signs were also torn off walls and crumpled into water fountains.

Even young people are tired of this “in your face” nonsense and forced participation in a celebration that is, let’s face it, not for everyone. If you are mainline Christian or devout Catholic, if you’re Muslim or Orthodox Jew, you have zero interest or investment in Pride Month. That’s not hate. That’s just honest fact.

People can celebrate whatever they want. This is America. But requiring everyone to participate in these celebrations, and then ostracizing or labeling someone homophobic or transphobic if they choose not to is unfair, mean-spirited, and un-American. Some have no desire to participate in Pride celebrations any more than they have a desire to participate in Juneteenth celebrations. Both are niche events that are geared toward a particular demographic. It doesn’t mean they don’t like or love the LGBTQ community—far from it. But if and how they choose to celebrate should be their choice and the choice of the community in which they reside. One single student group and school administrators should not be force-feeding this decision.

One of the most refreshing things I have found since moving South is the only flag being flown most everywhere is the American flag. That should be the unifying thread for a school, a community, and our nation.

The tragic part of this story is that the “adults in the room,” the school administration, were the ones that were triggered, deeming these student’s actions a hate crime.

Go figure.

“…groups of students were heard chanting, ‘U.S.A are my pronouns,’ and students glared intimidatingly at faculty members showing pride,” Perchase continued. “Students were shamed into removing their stickers or covering their clothing with rainbows.”

Like the rest of us are shamed when we fly the American flag, wear a MAGA hat, or wear a Thin Blue Line t-shirt? Welcome to the party, pals.

Community members reacted on Monday.

“I thought Burlington was a safer place,” said parent Carl Foss.

Perchase said she received some feedback that the counter message was in response to the school not recognizing the observance of Memorial Day.

Bingo. If you are going to commemorate one thing, then commemorate everything, including Toe Fungus Day. Seriously, kids are smart enough to know when adults are being selective about this stuff. Many of these kids probably know of family members (or are direct descendents) of fighting men and women who died for our country. So, to show absolutely no recognition for a day that truly matters (or should matter) to ALL Americans is more than an oversight, it’s egregious.

Perchase said the lack of recognition for Memorial Day was “an oversight” and said school officials apologized to students on Monday.

She continued, saying she wished students would have contacted her directly.

“Respect for the observance of Memorial Day and respect for the LGBTQ community are not mutually exclusive,” she said.

Oh, but they are Ms. Perchase. A Drag Queen did not die for my freedom. A soldier did. Memorial Day and what it represents is mutually exclusive and is not “just another holiday.” This administrator should take some history classes along with her students.

Perchase said she hopes to turn this unfortunate incident into a learning opportunity.

Mmmkay. Hopefully that learning opportunity includes Perchase and the school administration, otherwise, nothing will be learned.

The board promised to work harder to establish a concrete diversity, equity and inclusion program within Burlington and the Marshall Simonds Middle School, with the town’s superintendent of schools aiming to hire for that position within the next couple of months.

“These are people who are our friends,” said Burlington resident Joanne Frustaci. “They are not our enemies. And it’s time for everyone to open up and listen.”

Here is what amazes me: this counter protest was not violent and aside from stickers and decorations being torn down, did not involve any destruction of personal or school property. I really liked the fact that the students who counter protested wore American flag gear and showed their colors as a form of protest. The fact that school boards and educational bureaucracies see this as hate and put the lack of listening on the side of the students is mind boggling. These people need to look in the mirror.

And maybe make a concrete plan to celebrate and commemorate events where everyone can get on board, and not just a select group. This is the result of pushes for diversity, equity, and inclusion: all it does is create division and disunity that does little to encourage diversity or inclusiveness.