Like many middle schools in our country with the means, New Jersey’s South Orange Middle School has a graduating class trip to our nation’s capitol. The school was in D.C. on their class trip at the end of May and all the kids on the trip were enjoying the impressive National Mall. However, what some thought would be a “special treat” for these students has turned into an exercise in the wisdom of youth. On Thursday they were lined up for a nice little photo session with Republican Speaker of the House and man with bloody AHCA hands Paul Ryan—and about 100 students, including Matthew Malespina, who spoke with ABC News, weren’t having it.
It didn't matter that Paul Ryan is the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, or that he is third in-line to the presidency.
When he and his classmates from South Orange Middle School had the chance to take a picture with the speaker. Matthew watched from the parking lot with 100 of his fellow students.
What was young Master Malespina’s problem with Ryan?
‘‘I don’t want to be associated with a man who puts his party before his country,’’ Matthew said. ‘‘I don’t like to take a picture with somebody that I can’t associate with. Let’s say somebody is not nice to me at school, for example. I wouldn’t take a picture with them, probably.’’
Matthew’s mother, Elissa Malespina, a public-school librarian, said she was surprised but pleased to hear of the students’ protest action.
‘‘I’m proud of him, and I’m proud of the other students that chose to exercise their constitutional rights and did so in a respectful manner,’’ she said.
When I got a chance to go in 6th grade I spent most of my time angling to get freeze-dried ice cream from the Smithsonian Aerospace Museum. But let’s all be serious. Do you want young children around a guy that condones the kind of treatment of women—and human beings for that matter—our unpopular rapey orange president has shown?