Atta boy Tucker!

Thank you Tucker. You are a true patriot here in the land of peace and tolerance.

These demonstrations are happening at times of the afternoon when parents have to pick younger children up from school and or day care. Late pick up charges amount to an average of $1. per minute, thus it is costly for those that are not wealthy.

How about workers needing to punch a time clock? They may not be as privileged as these teens and their families. Average workers get docked, or face penalties, for being late. They could be written up, and it may be a reason for dismissal, if it happens too often.

Holding up traffic, for purposes such as this one and especially downtown, indulges these teens. It is not a benefit to the general community, it just allows them to 'vent' in public. But their message does not merit the amount of trouble and/or harm they will have caused to others.

Unnecessary traffic delays should always be discouraged. I am surprised that Palo Alto's higher ups are allowing this, without any correction to the teens.

Emergencies are another issue. But these delays were silly. It is not the way to make a valid point. Adults ought not to be encouraging their behavior, or their tactic for getting attention.

With respect to Joan Baez, there are other ways to take action, those that do not adversely affect everyone else that did not get the memo about the traffic delays.

My paly son said attendance was lower than expected because it was "chilly" and someone felt a rain drop so many decided not to go. Hardly the stuff of sacrifice.

The weekly is also clearly biased given all the attention they are giving to this

The dishonest biased media is encouraging this civil unrest. [Portion removed.]

@Inclement Weather - HA! I remember about 10 or so years ago a group of Paly students walked out to protest the Iraq war. The plan was to march downtown, I believe. It was raining on that day also. They got as far as Town and Country and packed it in due to the weather.

I happened to be downtown when the students gathered there. It was wonderful to see. Students avoided politics. Almost all of them are not yet old enough to vote. This election happened while they watched. They made it clear they aren't happy with the tenor of campaigning on either side of the aisle and they think they can do better. They stood up in support of a wide variety of marginalized citizens. They chanted and sang and marched and talked of peace and communication and support.
I am hopeful for our future.

The protests are great for community spirit but young people need to realize that if they want to achieve anything, they need to follow through with action. For example, if kids came to protests with a letter - a snail mail letter, one each kid - asking for Trump to keep his word to be everyone's President, and out of respect for the majority who voted for Clinton, put together a mainstream, experienced, bipartisan administration and cabinet actually capable of representing the nation.

Online petitions and email don't have nearly the weight of tons and tons of actual letters. If kids flooded the President elect with millions and millions of actual letters - maybe with some kind of symbol of unity on the outside of each - and the President-elect still kept signing on extreme partisans (putting it nicely) like Bannon, then the people have at least something of a case to make for doing away with the electoral college as it is. It is desperately important that the administration not become a rightwing echo chamber when the world hasn't fully recovered from the last disastrous all-rightwingers-running-everything crash. (The modern Republican party pays far too little attention to outcomes that are the opposite of their espoused ideals, such as being way worse about debt than Democrats and delivering far less for the same money, and are still working on the very undemocratic Permanent Republican Majority even though they don't say it anymore).

The truth is, Trump can easily dismiss the faraway protests. He can't if they are accompanied by floods of millions of actual letters. The media will have much more to chew on, too.

G-d bless our children from taking the best from our convoluted efforts and modeling love and true democracy. I love our children of ALL colors and beliefs.

FOR not from. But you figured that out. Join me in praising them!!!!

The nation holds hands and sings kumbayah. Then, reality ensues.

Lots of great photos!
Attendance office officials please take note.

Today's rallies downtown and on campus are exactly the sort of outspoken civic engagement that strengthens the community. The privilege to march and wave flags, to debate and shout from soapboxes, to tell the stories in the press, these are what we fight for. The speeches, the signs, the t-shirts, even the disruption (which was announced yesterday and was well-coordinated with police) are praiseworthy manifestations of a robust democracy, and, in my opinion, above mockery or reproach.
I'm proud of these young people.

Shame on the snowflakes who told Tucker to turn his shirt inside out. Glad he wasn't arrested.

I am delighted the students got out and made their voices heard in an orderly fashion, even consulting with the police. These kids could not vote, and their frustration at the tenor of the election and its aftermath bodes well for our future, and their future as voters. I am ASTONISHED at the negativity in the responses to the article!! And we did not even see the rudest posts, as they were removed! Having marched and struck that famous spring of 1970, I can say that these kids will feel more involved and more empowered as they go on. We should be supporting them as they look outside their " bubble" and make their voices heard. Bravo, students!!

Tucker for City Council!

[Portion removed.]

Real protest involves sacrifice. The threat of getting thrown in jail. The threat of not getting into college because they skipped a test. Heck, they probably were even encouraged by their teachers to go.

These kids sacrificed nothing to block traffic and "make their voices heard."

What made Ghandi and MLK protests effective is that they were potentially sacrificing themselves to the greater cause. These kids did nothing like that.

Empty gestures, indeed.

These are children getting involved and inspired to be the next generation of voters. I'm not sure why anyone is so critical of their actions. Good for them. It's their country, too.

Thank you to these students for giving us hope through peace and love! Reading these negative comments intended for minors that are trying to bring all people together, just reaffirms the need for their messages to be spread.These students made it very clear this was not to be an anti Trump rally and it's not there fault a spectator asked someone to turn their Trump shirt inside out. They are teens trying to do something positive and relieve their personal stress and anxieties. This is a community trying to heal and prevent suicide clusters. Please keep that in mind as you type your negativity and opinions about a group of students you don't know.

Thank you.
I agree with you all.

I am so proud of our students. I am also proud once again of Joan Baez.
It is Joan Baez, Paly grad, class of 1960, that we should name a P.A. school for. Sang with Dylan at the '63 March on Washington (I have a Dream speech), Marched with MLK at Selma. Has stood for non-violence and civil rights since a teenager. Founded the Institute for the Study of Non-violence that was on Lytton for years in a big house she bought for that purpose. For years the Institute taught seminars at The Land on upper Page Mill Rd. in Palo Alto that influenced hundreds or thousands in the principals of non-violent social changes - some famous among them. People who went on to enact positive changes locally and nationally.
Her father taught physics at Stanford, and being a Quaker, opposed research used for military purposes.
When she was at Paly, instead of cooperating with the horrible Duck and Cover drills that we all grew up with then when supposedly desk diving would save us from nuclear attack, she lead like-minded students outside in the open, rejecting the absurd premise and fear.
I could go on and on. She and her then husband, David Harris (was a Stanford student body Pres and Vietnam Draft Resister who went to prison for openly and publicy refusing to join the army), founded Stuggle Mt. commune on upper Page Mill Rd in Palo Alto.
I could go on and on.
Her ties to Palo Alto are deep and significant and her life of service even more so. She lives nearby and plays at MLK celebrations here, at this high school protest and when and where she is needed. If ever a school deserved her name, it is one here in our town.

This event was not a march for peace, love or inclusiveness. It was a protest against the democratic process and the legitimate results of a free and fair election. Adult left wing political organizations are manipulating our children and using them as proxies for their failed ideologies of cultural marxism and identity politics.

We know without a doubt from WikiLeaks and Project Veritas that the Democratic Party spent $100s of millions of dollars from Wall Street, large corporations and foreign donors in an attempt to intimidate voters and undermine the election. Funding thugs to create violence at Trump events, busing people to swing districts to illegally vote, vandalizing campaign offices and passing information between the media and the HRC campaign.

Overwhelmingly, the country rose up and rejected these tactics. Sadly, rather than accepting that feedback for introspection some school teachers, administrators and parents are now vicariously projecting their hatred and disappointment into our youth community. Apparently the lesson learned is not that maybe we should try to understand the viewpoints of others that disagree with us but rather that we should just try to cheat harder.

Leave our kids alone. Most of the high school students are not even old enough to vote.

to A Motorist/Citizen - We all received the traffic delay e-mails from the city which would have enabled you to plan ahead. Your kids are still in preschool so perhaps you don't understand yet that it's a positive thing for kids/teens to have a voice and use it. BTW it's also their right to assemble, particularly because it was not an ad-hoc gathering. These are the future leaders and voters of our country.

My child was in the peace walk and wasn't happy with either candidate. He just wants peace and kindness. Please be thoughtful of your words in these comments regarding our teens. They are vulnerable.

Tucker Tucker Tucker!!! You rock.

Thank you for standing up against the forces of intolerance and hatred.

Let's hope that any act of actual violence, regardless of the target, is fully investigated and publicized. And if press is given to an imagined act, or hoax, I trust the Palo Alto Weekly will make sure to call that out in its reporting.

When I first moved to Palo Alto in the early 70s, there was a community peace march down either University Ave. or Embarcadero, ending at the Stanford memorial church. There was a huge turnout and everyone carried candles. My entire family participated. It was a beautiful sight to behold: a river of flickering candles in the dark, flowing towards Stanford. There was a wonderful feeling of solidarity. I miss the 70s!

I wish this peace march had been better advertised, more inclusive of the community, and perhaps held on a Saturday when most could participate. I would have joined. The message of peace should be shared by everyone.

BRAVO Students of Peace!!!

Here is an old message from the old days. It still applies to our current snowflakes:

Web Link

Enjoy.

So proud of these kids for paying attention and thinking about the impact of this election on so many. Not only the policy dangers, but the emotional toll as we cope with feelings of fear, betrayal, victimization. Protest is about more than just being heard. It is about human beings coming together in solidarity and support for each other and for issues they feel passionately about.

How anyone could object to (let alone malign) young people choosing to peacefully, and legally, spread messages of love, unity, acceptance and equality is beyond me. Those kids spoke strength and hope together after the "grown-ups" outside the "bubble" handed them a result they feel threatens the very nature of their nascent self-identity. Good for them and lucky for us.

Way to go kids!

would the schools have let the students protest if crooked Hillary were elected?

What a great demonstration! I couldn't be more proud of these kids. Thank you for making your voices heard in this peaceful way. We adults could learn a lot from you.

We can divide society between the Doers, and the Critics of the Doers.
Bravo for the Doers!!!There are thousands of angles and opinions about a single event, and everybody speaks from their little corner, disregarding the obvious message:Our youth does not like the way we are running our world, and they have the right to express themselves, within the limits of respect. Well done kids!!!!By the way, getting all kinds of reactions to what you think needs to be said, is a good rehearsal for life!

I think I know who "Winter" is, and it's funny how former 1960s protesters are re-living their youth through these kids. But correct me if I'm wrong, but the 1960s protesters were nonconformists, right? I mean they were the exceptions to the norm. Now it's the norm to be against Trump. At least in Palo Alto. So these kids demonstrating downtown yesterday are just the current version of conformists. And Tucker is the nonconformist, who is bravely willing to go against the grain.

Anyway, that's just an observation. And I didn't vote for Hillary or Trump. I don't think he'll be a terrible president, but the liberals will want to characterize him as something awful to rally their side.

My teens walked in this peaceful expression of their views. They have small devices that deliver news and social media to them instantenously. They listened to the adults. They heard what the politicians had to say. They are directly impacted given that they will live in the world created by the policies adopted in the years ahead. They had no vote or voice. Giving them an opportunity to support their friends and share their pain is healing. They may have lost their sense of safety and innocence in this election. The least we can do is take an alternative route.

So proud of the peaceful and civil way these kids expressed their concerns. Well done! Take the next step. Organize a letter writing campaign--(not email, letters). Keep it civil, make it big and strong.

You are so right. You are the future-the mighty, mighty future. Engage now in democratic process to save it for your generation.

Inundate the White House with paper letters expressing your message of civility and love. Remind our new leaders that we have high expectations that they will serve us all and honor the principles and rules of our democratic government.

It's a lovely idea, but ask the Christians who died in the ancient Roman Coliseum how love stood up against hate.

The very headline is misleading and biased. Love is greater than hate. No argument there. But the headline falsely assumes and alleges that Trump and his supporters hate people. Hating people and hating illegal activity are two separate things. According to the Left, if it is ok to defy and ignore immigration laws and even perhaps national security laws regarding classified material, then it must be ok to cheat on exams, lie on resumes and disregard stop signs and traffic lights. Or is it simply ok for progressives to conduct themselves however they wish without accountablility while demanding resignation and prosecution for anyone that is not a member of their party?
I am glad no student was hurt or injured during these protests, but the school officials should be ready to answer parents if any type of accident does occur off campus during school hours or under school supervision.

I am so proud to see these young adults standing up for what they believe, it is time we all take a stand and come together as one people on one planet. Keep it up!

@ Megan....are you saying you will stand with those who supported Donald Trump in an effort to come together? If so, that is admirable. If not.........

Let's honestly look at where the real hate is coming from. Hint....it's not from the majority of trump supporters.

@ winter....It would be great if Joan Baez would lead these students in a rejection of the "absurd premise and fear" of a Trump presidency.

Great to see students protesting against hateful speech. Being deplorable I thought no one cared about me or the other 30 million of us

Tucker rocks!

I want to buy him a Pizza My Heart pizza!

I thought that the greatest thing of USA is democracy. If two parties are running election, one wins and one lost. The winning party should try their best to improve things for the country. The losing party concedes and supports the winning party for the sake of this country. The losing party can try to win next time.

It was always the case until this time. What I don’t understand is why the losing party, well this time is Democrat Party, not trying to tell their followers to stop useless demonstrations. This only generates chaos but not helping.

College and High School students pay attention to election, a great news for our next generation. However, Adults, please guide these young people to the right direction of the Democracy of this great country. Many people dislike both candidates this time, however, if one has be elected by half of your fellow citizens, can we just united and work together???

@ leave the kids out of this.....It would have been refreshing to see kids protesting against the corrupt activities of the DNC and their minions, as you stated so clearly, instead of the results of a fair and democratic election and the fear mongering of the progressive left who think the world is coming to an end because they lost.

"Now it's the norm to be against Trump. At least in Palo Alto."

Um, nationally, if you follow the voters Web Link

Clinton: 61,963,234 votes
Trump: 60,961,185

Do the math.

Curmudgeon
Popular vote is meaningless. If popular vote was how the election would have been determined then candidates and voters would have acted differently. As an example California trump supporters might have come out in greater numbers and likewise for Hillary in Texas. You can't change the rules and say the results would have been the same

I saw a report that 42% of eligible voters didn't vote. So whatever side of the political spectrum you are on you should find this depressing. We have only ourselves to blame for whatever mess you think we are in. Can there really be any excuse for not voting???

Bravo to our California youth for recognizing and actively opposing oppression. You inspire me. Thank you to Joan Baez for her activism, and for sharing her lovely voice. As for Winter, she doesn't need to relive her youth: She has dedicated her entire adult life to fighting for social justice, and I'm proud to know her.

@Curmudgeon
Are you really trying to say that 61M out of 123M is NOT considered the norm? Even if Clinton received more votes, it's not like the Trump voters are out of "the norm". That's just improper math.

100 people in a room. 51 of them have bell bottoms on and 49 have skinny jeans. Which one is the norm?

To all the kids hearing this negativity remember to do this: let your h8ers b your motiv8ers

The Electoral College! Remember the massive protests when Bill Clinton got into office with only 43% of the popular vote because of the Electoral College.

Oh, thst's right, nobody protested.

The three biggest lies:

1. The march was intended to be peaceful, loving and inclusive of all points of view.

Reality: It was not about unity but built upon assumed antagonism against Trump supporters or anybody not supporting the presumed correct viewpoint.

2. The march was "initiated" and organized by students.

Reality: Carefully crafted language to avoid legal issues with school endorsements gave this one away. Professional planning, coaching and resource subsidies were obvious.

Like the mothers in the "Toddlers and Tiaras" TV show, the comments here show that the adults are reliving their glory days of youth (probably as Vietnam protesters) and unbelievably think that the kids really understand the game and want to be there. Classic exploitation by people who should know better.

3. All Trump supporters are evil, violent, oppressive, racist, misogynist, homophobic and xenophobic....

Reality: If you believe that one then borrow Tucker's t-shirt, put on a Trump hat and walk around the bay area. As numerous incidents have shown, you will quickly be beaten, called names and have your property destroyed. If you work for GrubHub, you will be encouraged to resign.
[Portion removed.]

Amazing how quite a number of our right-wing commenters have forgotten the past...

Right-wing, 2008: Barack Obama is an illegitimate president, who wasn't even born in this country, and is out to replace our laws with Sharia law, because he's a secret Muslim. We will protest until he is impeached and deported from our shores!!!

Right-wing, 2016: Donald Trump won the election, fair and square. Anyone who dares to speak against him is un-American, and should not be in this country, period!!!

This link pretty much summarizes what our nation has become.

Web Link

. what would these kids have done decades ago after the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor ( reference animal house )

We are raising a country or wimps

[Portion removed.]

[Portion removed.]

@College Terrace: You obviously have no idea what free speech REALLY means.

The Palo Alto Online site can put in rules as to what is, and what is not, allowable on their site -- because they are a private company, and not part of the government.

Now play nice.

Myth buster I like your comments.

The bottom line is a large number of people voted on a chance that Hillary's corruption might stop. She is bought by corporations, foreign groups, etc. and is associated with activities too nefarious to put on line. What is going on in the schools, that kids get off from school to protest to keep corruption? They get therapy because the anti corruption faction won? Does this mean to be politically correct, we have to support corruption or go into hiding (except in the election booth?)

"Are you really trying to say that 61M out of 123M is NOT considered the norm?"

I'm simply pointing out that "against Trump" happens way beyond Palo Alto. If you want education on norms, read some sociology and linear algebra textbooks.


"The Electoral College! Remember the massive protests when Bill Clinton got into office with only 43% of the popular vote because of the Electoral College."

Sure do remember that memorable election, thanks to one H. Ross Perot. There's a lot to be said for runoff elections, right?

Geez, do you realize that, if it weren't for the perversion of our electoral democracy by that that peculiar institution the Electoral College, there would have been no Republican presidents elected since Bush 41 in 1988? Civics lesson, students.

Related note: they're changing the schedule at Gunn AGAIN?! Four schedules in four years?! How does that model wisdom?!

Does change.org work? I want my son to have a good four years.

Startbthe change.org

"we have to support corruption or go into hiding (except in the election booth?)"

Ask any Trump voter about that. They did both.

Dear Curmudgeon: A quick check - Clinton 45M votes to Bush's 39M votes, pretty clear difference between #1 and #2.

Bring on the snowflakes; they'll be easy competition for my children.

I just overheard two boys biking to school: "We're never gonna have to show empathy in the real world, I don't get why we have to in class."

Our children see everything.

Four years of Titan Connect?! Are they serious?!

Hello all,
My name is Zoe Stedman. I was one of the organizers in charge of the peaceful demonstration Tuesday.
To those who have commented words of support and encouragement, I cannot thank you enough. It means so much to us youths that we have other generations supporting us. It makes our voices even louder to have yours cheering in support.
To those who have left criticizing comments, I'd like to address as many as I can, as not a single one is truthful.
1. To those who are bashing the protest as a whole due to what was said to Tucker: I don't support the words that were said either. When we promoted the protest, we did everything in our ability to publicize that the demonstration was not politically affiliated and that people of all affiliations were welcome. Few took us seriously and listened when we said that. Tucker, however, showed true confidence and bravery. He listened to us and saw the demonstration for what it truly was – an act to promote unity. I personally reached out to him to thank him for coming and to personally apologize that he experienced words of intolerance at this protest. It wasn't fair to him, as he was just as interested in spreading the love as the rest of us. I'm grateful for his support.
2. To those who have claimed that our protest was in obstruction of traffic laws: I'd like to politely correct you, as you seem misinformed. We contacted Palo Alto Police Department four days before the march to notify them of our intentions and the route we would be taking. They aided us throughout the entire march and we are infinitely grateful for their help in keeping us safe. My point is that we had the police on our side. Every action taken throughout the course of organizing this protest was entirely legal, from contacting police, to keeping in touch with Paly admin, to not hanging up flyers without a license to do so. In addition, one commenter added that there is information on future traffic obstructions posted online. I cannot confirm this, but it sounds like a wonderful resource.
3. To those who have bashed this protest for being "anti-Trump", for being "left-wing-oriented", and/or for "disrespecting the election results": That is entirely factually untrue. We made is extremely clear that this was not a politically-affiliated, "f*ck Donald Trump" protest. If you look online (I recommend looking at the event page on Facebook) for information on the demonstration, you could see that it was clearly stated by all organizers that we were working to the very best of our ability to keep this from being a negative, anti-Trump protest. I'd also like to add that there was, in fact, a speaker who talked about how we need to show our respect for the results and for the democratic system and exercise our right to protest in a positive way.
4. To those who have claimed that the protest was organized by parents or school administration, not students: I honestly find your comment somewhat flattering. The truth is that this demonstration was entirely student-organized. Anyone who says otherwise should look for more information, as they are clearly misinformed. The school administration of Paly actually sent out a mass email asking for parents to discourage their students from attending. Your belief that the protest was so well-organized, well-run, and well-executed that it could not have been done by students makes me happy that we did such a fantastic job that it exceeded expectation for what youths are capable of. I hope your ignorance continues to compliment people in the future, as it is not useful for much else.
5. To those who said that there was no point to this protest: I encourage you to open your eyes. There are people, both across the country and in our own local community, who have been targeted by hate speech and hate crimes. These did occur before the election, but there has been a spike in hate crimes since the election results came out. Minorities and women have been targeted by people who want to see them put down, silenced, and excluded from our country. Our protest was an act in which we stood up to those who have perpetuated hateful messages, and was aimed to show those who have been targeted and now fear for their safety and their future that we stand in solidarity with them. They are not alone in their struggles. Anyone in attendance could see that this goal was achieved, at least for the time being. The environment we created was one of love, acceptance, peacefulness, and unity. People of many genders, religions, races, backgrounds, sexual orientations, and, yes, political affiliations all came together as one group of people, all fighting for equality and love. It was a beautiful sight to see, and I will never forget the impact I made on my community through my involvement.
6. To those who believe that it is pointless for youths to make their voices heard, for they cannot vote (yet!): That is precisely why it was a group of youths who put in hours of their time to work hard to make this happen. Not a single one of the organizers had the right to vote in this election. It makes us youths feel silenced, as though our country does not value our opinions and our beliefs. What we do have the right to do, however, is protest. There is a reason our right to protest is protected by our Constitution. Protesting provides a platform for people to make their voices heard in a (hopefully) peaceful way, that has the ability to bring change to our country. As a current student in AP US History at Paly, I have learned so much already this year about how our country has changed and evolved, not only politically and economically, but also socially. That changed did not happen through silence. It did not happen through sitting on the sidelines of controversy and simply accepting reality as permanent. It happened through powerful, strong, and intelligent individuals coming together and stating their beliefs, stating what they want, and making their voices heard through a multitude of ways. The very reason I, as a female, have the right to go to school everyday and learn about these lessons, for example, is because people stood up for my right to an education. Change does not come through silent acceptance, and anyone who took the time to attend the protest on Tuesday can see that we proved this.
7. To those with further criticisms, concerns, and comments: Feel free to email me at zoestedman@gmail.com if you'd like me to hear what you have to say. Please think carefully about what you say, though, and keep in mind that any hateful words you have for me are being directed to a 16-year-old.
Thank you for your time.

[Post removed.]

@ Zoe...your post is thoughtful and informative. To quote you, "It happened through powerful, strong, and intelligent individuals coming together and stating their beliefs, stating what they want, and making their voices heard through a multitude of ways." This is exactly what happened in this election, yet liberals continue to wrongly believe that their party is the only one with intelligent voters, referring to conservatives as racist rednecks, uneducated trailer trash and worse.

I hope you are open minded enough to see the hypocrisy behind these attempts at stereotyping a group based on political ideology. Democrats ignored all but the elitist progressives in metropolitan areas during the campaign. That's why they lost and nearly every political analyst on both sides has come to that conclusion.

What is up with the alt-right and name calling? All of a sudden people are flinging insults like "snowflakes" and "cuckservatives" at anyone and everyone who appears to disagree with their point of view. Really, is this how to persuade others to embrace new ideas? Is the goal of these labels to keep the country divisive and hostile? If so, I am sure it will succeed. Not a very pragmatic approach for advocating change though, is it?

Bravo to Zoe and the other students for organizing this peaceful and unifying march, and for reaching out to Tucker. These teenagers will feel the full effect of the changes ahead, yet had no say in the vote. We chose their future so I think we owe it to them to let them express their concerns and hopes for the future.

I think some adults in this community could learn from the thoughtful, civil example set by these fine, young people. Well done.

Bravo to Zoe and her fellow students who marched peacefully for love against hate. If I had know about the rally I would have been there too. Let's not forget that our president-elect said, "I alone can fix it" and "Everybody loves me." At his rallies his supporters shouted "Lock her up!" Many women are afraid they will lose their right to chose and that the sexism that already exists in our society will never go away. Immigrants are afraid they will be "rounded up." Steve Bannon from Brietbart has been promoted to the chief strategist. He represents the "alt right" and has voiced support for the extreme right wing party led by Marine Le Pen in France. We all need to come together for peace and work against the tide to go back in time.

Look at that headline for this article: "In election protests, Palo Alto students urge love in the face of hate." What's meant by "the face of hate"? Are they saying the election of Trump is "face of hate"? This is an example of media bias. Trump voters aren't hateful, they just want the country to go in a different direction. Is it now hateful to say that you want lower taxes? Is it hateful to say we should have borders and stop people from walking in who haven't followed the immigration process? Is it hateful to say we oppose all the corruption and crony capitalism of the past 8 years? Hate is a strong word that loses it's meaning when it is theown around carelessly.

Yes, it's hateful to elect someone who boasts about sexual assault and insults the disabled, immigrants, and women. Sorry, but you bought the whole package.

We need more kids like Tucker!

As for @Leave our kids out of this - and supporters

Have you [portion removed] never learned what "democracy" means?

Here's a quick hint - one person one vote. It does NOT mean that one vote in Wyoming has the same weight as 20,000 votes in New York. Does that mean the Electoral College is not democratic? Absolutely. Never has been. That's why the president is getting elected by the minority. [Trump] lambasted the Electoral College in 2012. He's singing a different tune now.

One thing is clear: as long as the Electoral College is allowed to tramp over majority rule, the United States of America is not a democracy.

@ SupportTheMarchers....liberal hypocrisy is exactly why Hillary Clinton won't be our next president. When you refer to the majority of the country as deplorable, uneducated, racist, redneck, misogynistic, homophobic, Islamophobic, etc., etc. you get the result you just got. The majority of the country rejected her because they are sick and tired of being denigrated by the elite left. The majority of people who voted for Trump don't fall into any of those categories I listed above and they voiced their disgust with Hillary and the Democrat party, including the policies of President Obama by turning out the vote. Take away large urban areas that always vote democrat (it's why we have an electoral college) and you have a Trump landslide. Republicans now have record numbers of governors, state legislatures and mayors as a result of this rejection of progressive policies. Just look at the electoral map county by county. Red is the dominant color.

I too applaud Zoe and the Paly students for voicing their protest in a peaceful and thoughtful way but I wonder if many of them really have a grasp on what just happened in this election or are they just marching to the drumbeat of the progressive liberal environment we live in with no understanding or respect for the other sides thoughts or feelings, and are living in unwarranted fear of change because of the mongering in the news and social media.

Clinton lost and Trump won. If he doesn't do a decent job he'll be out in four years. It's time to move on and come together as Americans.

38 year resident: "If he doesn't do a decent job he'll be out in four years."

Unless we're under the control of Trump's Russian paymasters, that is.

"It's time to move on and come together as Americans."

Exactly like the right wing united behind Barack Obama once he assumed office...oh wait...

@ read the dictionary...The United States is a Constitutional Republic not a democracy. There is a reason for this.

@read the dictionary
Why would a bunch of Wyoming ranchers want their futures decided by a bunch of New York City dwellers ? Their interests are vastly different. Since the cities are more densely populated they will have a majority in any election. You're arguing for a system where the city population will always win the vote and the rural areas interests will not be represented. How is your system consistent with the American system that was put in place to unite the 50 diverse states ?

@Union of States

Considering the vast majority of Americans live in those big cities I would hope their concerns would be weighted slightly heavier...

@38yearResident said: "When you refer to the majority of the country as deplorable, uneducated, racist, redneck, misogynistic, homophobic, Islamophobic, etc., etc. you get the result you just got." -- By saying "You?", are you referring to me? I never said that! My post said the exact opposite which was to stop the name calling and labelling. It is hostile and counterproductive.

In an earlier comment, I said the election campaigning was "disgusting" throughout the past year and a half. For the record, that was a comment about the behavior of all the candidates, including primary candidates, pundits, surrogates, etc. Though I strongly believe Trump and his hyperbole and reckless rhetoric was the very worst of the worst. He could have run a good campaign on simply the "drain the swamp" movement. That was what resonated most with his supporters, and even non-supporters in the end.

@Robert,
Two of the most widely recognized forms of democracy are:

Pure or Direct Democracy -- All decisions are made directly by a majority vote of all eligible citizens. By their vote alone, citizens can enact laws and select or remove their leaders. The power of the people to control their government is unlimited.

Representative Democracy -- The citizens rule through representatives who they elect periodically in order to keep them accountable. The power of the people to control their government is thus limited by the actions of their elected representatives.

The United States is a representative democracy operated under a "republican" form of government as provided for in Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution which states, "The United States shall guarantee to every State in the Union a Republican form of Government..." (This should not be confused with the Republican political party which is merely named after the form of government.)

In 1787, the Founding Fathers, based on their direct knowledge of history showing that unlimited power tends to become tyrannical power, created the United States as a republic -- not a pure democracy.

The Founders were unanimous in their desire that no single entity, be it the people or an agent of the government be given unlimited power. Achieving a "separation of powers" ultimately became their highest priority.

As a part of their plan to separate powers and authority, the Founders created the Electoral College as method by which the people could choose their highest government leader—the president—while avoiding the dangers of a direct election.

"The majority of the country rejected her [Clinton] because they are sick and tired of being denigrated by the elite left."

Clinton: 62,109,875
Trump: 61,000,837

That one-million-nine-thousand-twenty-vote margin says the country rejected Trump.

But why are you so afraid of "being denigrated by the elite left"? Didn't Trump abolish PC in this campaign? Dish it out, can you, but can't take it? C'mon.

Look. Go with it. You can call a spade a spade now. [portion removed] Try it out, like on Mike Tyson.

@Supportthemarchers.... sorry. I should have said "we" not you. Was not referring to you. It was meant to be a generalization.

@Zoe and Peace Walk Organizers,
You give me hope for the future! Ignore the
trolls writing comments. Thank you for making this world a better place!

@38yearResident - thank you, all good :-)

@Right-Wing Hypocrisy....and you can prove the "Russian Paymaster" allegation how ??

So much vitriol and hate. Supremacy (of any kind) should be roundly rejected by all those w/ rational minds. The alt-right is such an "organization" and, as such, it should be roundly rejected. None of us actually want an Aryan nation, do we?

For those of whose candidate won, stop dancing in the end zone and/or feel empowered to behave badly. You look the fool for it.

For those of you whose candidate lost, it's not the end of the world. Keep any demonstrations peaceful while you exercise your right to protest.

Violence does happen (it happened in 2008 when Obama was elected as well), but it should never be allowed to get out of control on either side.

For our sake and our children's sake, be excellent to each other please!

to @ 38 year resident
Nitpicking. The USA is constantly touted as the world's leading democracy. I'm glad to see that you agree with me that it's not a democracy. But the image that's consistently put out to the world is that it is, i.e. blatant misrepresentation.

to @Union of States
There's already a mechanism for that, it's called the Senate.
What you're arguing for is minority rule, also called "The Tyranny of the Minority" How does anyone justify minority rule of a nation? Makes no sense, except to the pigs (ref. there is to Animal Farm by George Orwell, for those who are wondering).

@Ura... your hypocrisy is showing. I seem to recall a gloating President Obama saying that "Elections have consequences," and House Majority Leader Pelosi and House Majority Leader Harry Reid parading in front of the Capital Building with a large gavel exclaiming that "We won and you didn't." So if you're going to criticize what you call the "alt right," remember how the "alt left" treated Republicans.

@38

No hypocrisy here nor did I create the term "alt-right" (as you implied). They did that. I call that group for what it is, a thinly veiled white supremacy group. Anyone who has done their research would do the same.

If the point you were trying to make is that Obama and the left are paying for those moments in '08/'12 now...you may have a point and you may, indeed, be correct.

I don't know of any group that self-ascribes as the alt-left, so I have nothing to critique there. Once one does, perhaps I will.

Good day!

It's very important to distinguish what one is talking about. I support LEGAL immigrants - I think virtually ALL Americans do - but I DO NOT support illegal immigrants, especially those who commit crimes. Be very clear what you are talking about. This is not about racism. An illegal immigrant from ANY country has broken this country's sovereignty and s/he has NO RIGHT to do that. Then - if/when such individual commits an ADDITIONAL crime, I see no problem whatsoever with removing this person from this country. Or - do you believe that this country's borders should be "open" - a nonsensical proposition? The US. Constitution is to be defended by our sworn public officials on behalf of U.S. citizens - not random persons who have illegally entered and stayed in this country - for whatever period of time. I have ZERO sympathy. Try pulling this stunt on most other countries - THEY defend their borders, as they appropriately should and have every right to do. Meanwhile, the notion of teachers egging on any under-age students to "protest" is laughable and not what educator should do -- politicize vulnerable young minds with one's personal perhaps highly biased viewpoint. When above age 18 - in the streets - in one's home - at college -- it is fine for all to express their opinions and attempt to influence younger persons (again, above age 18)

"I DO NOT support illegal immigrants"

But they support you. Don't you think it's fair to return the favor? I do.

Who do you think harvests the food for you in Imperial Valley fields and Salinas Valley farms and Sonoma County orchards, working mucho hours in the sun for very small pay, and moving the family along to another job every week or so? Popeye?

Liberals are intolerant of intolerance. This is why they live in a wishy washy fantasy utopia land. Trump is the greatest eye-opener and may have very well saved us from going down like Rome. And there ya have it.

President Trump

What a miracle!

@Resident – You’re right... I’m fairly liberal and I admit that I’m often intolerant. One thing I’m having a hard time tolerating right now is people that feel it’s ok to hide behind anonymity while they insult our beautiful young Palo Alton teens. Zoe Stedman is proud of her peaceful demonstration and her views, as she should be. I admire Zoe, and I admire Tucker for being there to support the demonstration too. They’ve got guts, they’re proud of their beliefs, and they don’t hide. Good for them.

@Karen Gibson

I would love to reveal my identity. However, it is literally unsafe to express support for Trump.... the irony is that this is probably why he won.

You've paralyzed the discourse to such an extreme with your hypersensitive knee jerk reactions and constant jumping at shadows.

Honestly I pray that Trump won't deport innocents are ban all Muslims. I didn't take him literally when he said those words. I judge him differently than most of the folks around here.

I think all these kids should stay in class, learn, and produce things... wait until there is tangible evidence of Nazi-like oppression before you go out and riot. Learning discipline rather than falling for hysteria will serve them better in the future.

Because right now it is a gigantic smoke-and-mirrors act erected by the media and it is deeply disturbing to watch people become so easily brainwashed.

"it is literally unsafe to express support for Trump."

I've noticed that Trump supporters tend to be easily frightened by imagined dangers. Trump exploited that fearfulness brilliantly.

The Home of the Brave has become the Coop of the Chickens [portion removed] .

@Resident. No one should feel unsafe because of the way they voted, so I am sorry that you do. However, I don’t see where anyone in this post has actually threatened you so let’s keep things in perspective..... There was no “riot” here, just a peaceful march. You are the only one bringing up the Nazis on this forum. And just because people have different views than you, does not mean they have been brainwashed. Whether he meant his words literally, or they were exaggerations, or they were jokes, or they were just said to rile people up, or instill anger (or is there some other option?), they are still frightening words. You said you actually pray that he doesn’t act upon all of his literal words, so it shouldn’t be so hard to understand why others would speak out against his hateful words. Let’s not make this peaceful march out to be anything more than what it was.

"Honestly I pray that Trump won't deport innocents are ban all Muslims. I didn't take him literally when he said those words."

Why do you support Trump if you don't believe what he says?

Trump supporters' attitudes are much scarier than Trump's words.

As someone else who feels afraid (for want of a better word) to say anything that may make me sound as if I supported Trump (I didn't BTW), I do not approve of all the fearmongering, protesting and marching since the election.

What is really being protested is democracy. I can't understand all these protests against democracy. It appears that there is no free speech, no freedom to vote for whoever seems to make most sense to the individual and lastly no respect for open debate.

I do not think this is a healthy way for our children and young people to behave. Protesting a legal and fair election process or attempting to change the rules afterwards makes no sense in a modern democracy.

It appear they are protesting for a corrupt government that only fills its own pockets. It is their right to do that. It is good that nothing worse is happening to support their desire for a continuation of corruption