Matt knew what he should do here. Nothing. Lie low. William would advise as much. So would Evan. “Don’t jeopardize the larger plan,” they would say. “What difference does this dumb resolution make anyway? Adam’s already gone.”
Matt viewed the situation through a different lens. Five years earlier he had stood by, done nothing, while two bullies shoved Spencer around. That inaction haunted him still, fertilizing the shame inside him.Now two bullies were targeting another defenseless kid, one who had suffered enough already. He would not make the same mistake twice.
He looked to Molly for help. “How do I stop this?”
“We will now vote on previous question on the resolution,” Colton said. “All in favor of ending debate, raise your hands.”
Several students raised their hands.
Molly had already been studying the little chart of parliamentary motions and their ranking. “Raise your hand and call out ‘On Information?’ Langley will have to pause things and recognize you. Then phrase your best argument as a question to the chair.”
“All against ending debate—” Colton began.
“ON INFORMATION?” Matt shouted, raising his hand.
Huebsch glared at Matt.
“State your question,” Colton said to Matt. His tone was condescending. He had the home court advantage.
Molly elbowed Matt. “Stand up!” she hissed.
Matt stood, still not sure what to say, how to phrase it. This was exactly why he hated public speaking. “Um, on information.” Pause. “What is… Scratch that. Sorry.” Pause. “Can the chair tell us the moral of Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan?”
Colton rolled his eyes. “I think we all know that one. Jesus was saying that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves.”
Matt remained standing, letting Colton’s words hang in the air, watching as realization settled on students’ faces.
Molly took a more direct approach. “ON INFORMATION?”, she called out, jumping to her feet.
Colton was visibly exasperated. “State your question.”
“Does the chair think Jesus would consider a hospitalized gay teenager to be my neighbor?”
Huebsch lost his shit and started yelling that Molly was out of order.
Colton banged his gavel.
In the end, the motion for previous question failed, which wasn’t so much a victory for Matt as it was a speedbump that bought him time. They still had to debate the resolution and then vote on it.
Colton announced that they were drawing up the speakers’ lists for the debate. There would be five minutes for those supporting the resolution, equal time for those opposed.
The secretary recorded the names of all students who wished to speak.
Huebsch was first to speak for the resolution. He spent his minute ragingagainst the “Gay Agenda,” quoting scripture, going so far as to claim that the fall of the Roman Empire could be traced to acceptance of homosexuality, and that anyone who opposed the resolution must wish a similar fate for the United States.
Matt was surprised at how tone deaf Huebsch was. This was a man who would always be a toady.
Then it was Matt’s turn. His original plan, if there had been a plan at all, had been to stop the resolution from passing. Nothing more. Now he had a different idea.
He stood, shifting his weight nervously. All eyes were on him. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. “I think it is safe to say that even if we don’t approve this resolution, the Stars and Stripes will still be flying tomorrow. And next year.”
Everyone laughed at Huebsch’s expense.
Matt continued. “This isn’t about whether you approve of homosexuality. We can’t say anything new that God hasn’t already said. So let God be the judge of whether the administration did the right thing. Our job, our only job, is to love our neighbor. And I say that Adam Maxwell is my neighbor. Right or wrong. Gay or straight. He was a fellow student one day and kicked out the next. He nearly died! I think SGA should send him a card, signed by all of us, telling him we care about him and wish him well. Oh, and maybe send some flowers as well. I think that’s what Jesus would want us to do.”
He was done in thirty seconds. He sat down, his heart pounding so heavily he barely heard the loud applause.
The girl sitting two rows ahead of him, the one who had gushed about his having taken a card to Debbie, turned towards him, beaming, tears in her eyes.
