As a former Catholic, born in Alabama, the latest news from Montgomery makes me feel lucky to have left both. And the courage and pluck of one Alysha Cosby, high school senior, makes me proud to be an American.
Alysha is the future of Alabama and the Catholic Church both.
AP/NYT carries the story here.
Alysha Cosby attended Catholic school. She got pregnant. Catholic school told her she couldn't graduate with her class. The boy who participated in the pregnancy event? He graduated with the rest of them.
So Alysha did the right thing. She attended the graduation event anyway. And when the pomp and circumstance was over Alysha walked up to the stage, called out her own name and walked across.
Alysha Cosby's decision prompted cheers and applause Tuesday from many of her fellow seniors at St. Jude Educational Institute. But her mother and aunt were escorted out of the church by police after Cosby headed back to her seat.
Here's hoping Alysha plans to run for the U.S. Senate one day -- assuming there will still be a U.S. Senate one day.
''I worked hard throughout high school and I wanted to walk with my class,'' she said.
Cosby was told in March that she could no longer attend school because of safety concerns, and her name was not listed in the graduation program.
The father of Cosby's child, also a senior at the school, was allowed to participate in graduation.