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Recently we have heard a great deal about the political conventions and how both parties are clamoring to appeal to the most difficult demographic to inspire: the young.  From MTV’s “Rock the Vote” and “Choose or Lose” to Gov. George W. Bush’s consistent mantra that young people need to be given the chance to succeed, the Class of 2000 has been courted from all sides, but our involvement in the world of politics will not come from catchy slogans or campaign soundbites.  The reasons for our involvement will come rather from our collective conscience.

As part of the John William Ward Public Service Fellowship, a program that allows Boston Latin School juniors and seniors to intern in the offices of various elected and appointed officials in state and local government, our group recently went to the State House to hear one of our host officials speak about the value of political activism.  As we were leaving, we noticed that there was a demonstration being held on the Grand Staircase, and as students of political activism, we stopped to hear what was going on.

What we, bright-eyed students who were filled with altruistic ideals that had been instilled in us by a summer of learning about how noble a calling public service can be, stumbled upon a rally of the Newton-based Parents’ Rights Coalition and former presidential hopeful Dr. Alan Keyes protesting the $1.5 million in state funding for gay youth organizations in public schools.

Dr. Keyes advanced to the podium and for over forty minutes delivered, without notes but with impressive rhetorical prowess, his patented brand of political invective to a crowd that cheered his every word.  He proclaimed that homosexual “animals” intend to undermine man’s moral capacity, break down all sexual responsibility, and spread the HIV virus in America the way they have already done so successfully in Africa; he further purported that “gay education” is nothing more than a homosexual movement based on “lies, deceit, and intimidation” intended to break down children’s “natural inclination” and that it should be prohibited in order to “preserve the heritage of morality and freedom.”

We listened to the entire speech, wondering whether our trip to the historic Massachusetts State House had also transported us back to the time when Puritanical fire and brimstone sermons were seen as an acceptable more of public discourse.

We listened, waiting for the group of counter-protesters to come, for those concerned community members to arrive with signs and chants to let Dr. Keyes know that his hate was not welcome in Massachusetts.  We waited for our political leaders to come down from their offices and reaffirm their support for every student in the commonwealth, regardless of their sexual orientation.  We waited, but they did not come.

When the speech was over, we had learned that ignorance comes in all shapes, sizes, and degrees of eloquence.  For we must consider it ignorance when a man in good conscience can decry such programs as Safe Schools, which promotes unity among students, be they black or white, gay or straight, male or female.  We must deem it ignorance when a man who has never even attended a meeting of the Gay Lesbian and Straight Educators’ Network can unilaterally declare that their TeachOut2000 conference, which addressed such topics as dealing with hate crimes to combating stereotypes, to be “sexual education seminar.”

Maybe coming from Maryland Dr. Keyes lives too far away from Jonesboro, Arkansas, or Littleton, Colorado for school violence to hit home.  Or maybe he simply forgot that Dylan Klebold’s and Eric Harris’ main targets, among others, were gays.

When that speech had ended, we had learned a lesson in a way the MCAS can never teach: that our democracy is a double-edged sword and free speech cuts both ways.  We learned just how long a road we have ahead of us on our endeavor to end this kind of intolerance.

So, as the elections approach, we gently remind the candidates, in the words of our namesake, John William Ward, that we believe that we “have the intelligence and ability to create good government,” and that they can rest assured that we will be listening.