And The Children Shall Lead Read online

  He glanced at Ricky, and Ricky leaned in to the microphone. “We also get that it’s weird for people, you know, cuz Lance and me are brothers, adopted brothers, anyway. It’s weird for us, too, let me tell you.”

  There was laughter, and Reyna flashed a huge grin up at the boys.

  “We will do nothing to embarrass you or the Round Table,” Lance said, but then he reddened with shame. “Other than what I already did to embarrass you this past year, anyway.”

  There were sniggers and grins from many in the assemblage.

  “But since you’re our family, it’s important that you understand Ricky and me were soul mates from the second we met, and I think most of you with eyes already knew that. Probably before we did.”

  More laughter and many head nods drew a shy smile to Lance’s face.

  “Anyway, I’ve heard the expression ‘doing something gay.’ I got no idea what that means, but out there in public, we’ll try not to. Okay?”

  That generated a laugh, and Ricky elbowed Lance good-naturedly.

  Esteban shot to his feet, sword held on high. “Yes, sire!” He looked proudly up at the two boys. “Long live Lance! Long live Ricky!”

  The others leapt to their feet as a unit and screamed, “Long live Lance! Long live Ricky!”

  Behind the boys, Arthur and Jenny sat with hands clasped, grinning, clearly relieved to have this hurdle jumped and cleared.

  Lance and Ricky smiled at one another and watched as the crowd settled down and retook their seats. Then Lance leaned in again to the microphone. “Oh, and by the way, I don’t like the word ‘gay’, either, so don’t call us that. Especially me. I’m not emo, but I’m definitely not happy all the time.”

  Laughter rippled through the room as Ricky leaned into the microphone. “Oh, he’s emo, all right,” sparking another wave of laughs and titters.

  Lance playfully shoved Ricky with a whispered, “Fool.”

  Sir James raised his sword high in the air and Lance pointed to him. He stood and awkwardly tilted his head. “What should we call you guys, you know, if somebody asks?”

  Lance smirked. “They can call me Sir Lance and him Sir Ricky.”

  There was more laughter and a lot of applause.

  Sir James frowned. “That’s not, you know, what I meant.”

  Lance would not be afraid anymore. “You can tell them we’re two parts of the same boy.”

  That response generated a new round of clapping, and Reyna elbowed Esteban beside her, who shot a wink her way.

  Sir James digested that answer a moment, then smiled and resumed his seat.

  “Now enough about Ricky and me,” Lance announced. “We have a country to fix.”

  He gestured at Sir Techie, who pointed a remote control up at the large fifty-five inch flat screen mounted on the wall above the stage. As the television sprang into animated life, Lance pointed to it. “Ladies and gentlemen of the Round Table, we present the next ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution – the Children’s Bill of Rights.”

  A PowerPoint frame appeared on-screen proclaiming ‘The Children’s Bill of Rights’.

  “We’ll go through them all and then go back over each one for questions and comments,” Lance went on, and Techie clicked the small black remote in his hand.

  The next slide appeared with the title ‘Amendment 28’ and the text of the amendment:

  ‘Congress shall make no law constraining anyone seventeen years or younger to the servitude or ownership of their biological parents, guardians, or any other adult or government entity; they shall henceforth from the date of passage of this amendment be considered human beings in their own right and not, in any sense of the word, ‘property’; likewise, no government nor government-sponsored agency shall remove any child from his/her lawful parents without evidence of actual abuse or serious neglect; poverty, alone, shall not be a determining factor; in the event of removal from the home because of proven abuse or neglect, children have the innate right to return to their parents upon evidence of parental stability, and the right to decide for themselves upon the issue of return; likewise, minor children under eighteen years of age shall not find their freedom of speech infringed within any public venue, including family court, nor their right to peaceably assemble, or to petition the Government or government-controlled entities for redress of grievances, including, but not limited to, bullying behaviors inflicted upon them by school officials, or students within those schools whereby no action was taken by school authorities to eliminate it’.

  Lance allowed a few moments for the gathering to read the text. He heard murmurs of agreement, and saw heads nodding in the crowd. Apparently they never realized they had been their parent’s and/or the government’s property all this time. He was certain, however, that almost every one had been muzzled or suspended at one time or other for saying something at school that a teacher or administrator disagreed with, or for wearing some shirt the school authorities objected to. And many, he knew, had been bullied, both by fellow students and administrators. He gestured for Techie to click on the next slide. ‘Amendment 29’ came up.

  ‘All persons seventeen and younger may not be labeled in any way, shape or form by any government entity nor any government employee or on any government documents; they may not be categorized by race, ethnicity, creed, educational ability, or sexual orientation nor may any of those factors be used either for or against them in any circumstance or within any institution that receives federal funds’.

  Again, Lance allowed for reading and digestion of the amendment and knew this one might spark some major debate. He heard rustling and saw head nods throughout the room. After all, this amendment merely reflected the Round Table philosophy of everyone being of equal value, with only their accomplishments being important, not their physical or perceived differences. He waved at Techie.

  And thus the amendments clicked onto the screen one by one, and the assembled knights read them all carefully. The other eight went as follows:

  #30:

  No minor child below age eighteen may be compelled by parent or guardian to undertake any activity (including, but not limited to, sports, hobbies, acting, modeling) that the child did not originate for him or herself, thus prohibiting parents from profiting either monetarily or socially by forcing minor children into avenues not originated nor sought after by the minors themselves; likewise, if any minor child is asked to perform any inappropriate or illegal actions (for example, appearing nude) in any venue, said minor does not require an adult to prosecute the employer – he or she may press all necessary charges and expect justice to be served without regard to the power or prestige of the employer; also, no parent may force a child to undergo psychological treatment for issues related to sexual orientation.

  #31:

  All persons seventeen and younger shall receive just compensation for their own labors and said compensation shall not be in the control of their parents or any adult; monies paid to working children shall be under the sole control of said children, and no adult may profit off the labors of any child without the child also receiving just compensation; likewise, monies paid by government agencies to house foster children within non-parental homes shall be under the sole control of the minor child and can at no time be used by the custodial adult without the express written permission of the child.

  #32:

  The right of children seventeen and younger to be secure in their persons, homes, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall be issued, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized; ‘probable cause’ is defined as a clear and present danger of criminality that may bring harm to persons or property (walking down the street with peers does not constitute ‘probable cause’).

  #33:

  No child below the age of eighteen may be adjudicated in the adult court system no matter the nature of the suspe
cted offense – such adjudication will be considered cruel and unusual punishment; every reasonable attempt must be made to rehabilitate minors, and quantifiable results must be presented to a panel upon attainment of the minor’s eighteenth birthday (as regards serious offenses) for either release back into the community or further incarceration; said panel to consist of a judge, two lawyers, two psychologists, three adults and five minors between the ages of fifteen and seventeen chosen randomly from the community; if the panel deems the now-adult person unfit for release, further rehabilitation must be given until age twenty-five; if after that time, a separate, similarly constituted panel deems the person unfit for release, only then may said person be sentenced to prison.

  #34:

  At no time may law enforcement question minor children below the age of eighteen without both a parent and a lawyer present, and questions must be asked in the preferred language of the child and translation provided to the parent as needed; any statements made by minors to law enforcement without the above stipulation, despite the Mirandizing of said minors, will be considered coerced and inadmissible as evidence, nor can such statements be used to even place said minor under arrest.

  #35:

  In all criminal prosecutions, the accused minor child shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by a judge well versed in the psychology of minors accompanied by input from twelve minor children between the ages of fourteen and seventeen chosen randomly from the community; to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of Counsel for his defense.

  #36:

  Minor children may choose what public school to attend and whether or not they wish to take the traditional approach after middle school or go into a vocational or arts-related educational venue; neither parents nor government may decide which path the child is to take; said decision rests solely with the minor child himself or herself.

  #37:

  Within any institution or organization receiving federal funds, minor children under eighteen may not be penalized in any way as a group for the misbehaviors of one or a small number of individuals within that group, nor may any of said minors be singled out for cruel or unusual punishment, including, but not limited to, humiliation, public haranguing, name-calling, or physical abuse.

  After every amendment had been presented, the room buzzed with excitement and hopeful enthusiasm. Reyna grinned proudly up at Lance, and Esteban flashed him a thumbs up of approval. They’d already seen these in private, but the palpable excitement amongst the entire Round Table meant the boys had hit on areas of need the other kids had perhaps sensed or thought about, but had never put a voice to in such a precise way.

  The discussion that followed flew fast and furious, with most of these kids having suffered many of the injustices Lance and Ricky had attempted to cover within those ten amendments. Of special importance were numbers five and seven, since most of the kids, especially the now ex-gang members, had been hassled and questioned by cops on numerous occasions, always with disastrous results for them. Those cops knew how to trick kids into saying things that could be used against them, and the kids knew the officers often altered in their reports what was actually said to make the kid look worse. Lance had experienced this injustice firsthand last summer. Yes, that one was personal to almost everyone.

  When questioned about amendment two, Jenny stood and asked to address the assemblage. The boys gladly gave her the floor. She explained how, as a teacher, she’d been required every year to document how many white kids, how many blacks, how many Latinos, how many Asians, how many Pacific Islanders, how many males and how many females she had in each of her classes, and explained that such directives were pointless and discriminatory.

  “Every kid in my classes was one of my students and they didn’t learn differently because they were of different skin colors,” she said with conviction. “They learned differently because each was an individual in his or her own right, just as you all are, and everyone should be known and documented simply by their names. Putting all of you into little ice cube trays by skin color or race just separates everyone out. Our goal with this crusade is to bring everyone together.”

  She stepped back from the microphone to thunderous cheers and foot stomping. Since a large number of these kids had Jenny for a teacher every day, they knew well her philosophy, and they loved the freedom to be themselves, rather than part of some arbitrary grouping.

  Jenny resumed her seat. Arthur smiled warmly and squeezed her hand, and the discussion continued well into the afternoon. Even Mayor Soto weighed in as an adult and a politician and cautioned that these provisions would be a hard sell to the Congress in Washington, but might go over better in Sacramento.

  “But I warn you,” he went on gravely, directing these last remarks squarely at Lance and Ricky, “as with your proposition, you’re asking adults, especially parents, to cede a lot of their power and control over kids, and they won’t like that.” Then he grinned and turned to the crowd, waving a hand towards Lance. “But if anyone can accomplish it, that would be young Mr. Lincoln here.”

  Lance reddened at the accolade, Ricky shoved him playfully, and the crowd went wild.

  All in all, while these ten amendments, if added to the Constitution, would not make minors into adults, they would give kids governmental and legal protections heretofore denied them under current law, and thus the assembled knights wholeheartedly approved the document, and gave Lance and Ricky a thunderous standing ovation once the debate concluded at five o’clock.

  As the boys shook hands with each and every knight, and the mayor acquired the names for his task force, Lance felt intensely at peace with himself, especially when Sir Marvell and Sir James enthusiastically shook his hand and proclaimed their plan “Epic.” Yeah, he thought, this will be epic.

  †††

  The bill of rights would go online Monday at noon, and accompanying the post would be a request for kids all over the country to provide feedback and suggestions for improvements, especially if some serious issue plagued kids in other states that did not affect Californians. These amendments were designed to aid all American children, and Lance hoped to hear from as many as possible.

  That Sunday flew by quickly due to the preparations for Arthur and Jenny’s wedding, with Reyna taking charge as event planner and organizer. Pastor Tom had come early, as usual, to do a morning service in the Throne Room. However, Lance and Ricky surprised Arthur and Jenny by asking if they could attend mass at a local Catholic church at eleven.

  Arthur was listening to Jenny and Reyna explain wedding details in the library when the boys entered and made their request.

  “There’s a church close to here, Dad,” Lance went on, “and they have an eleven o’clock youth mass for kids our age. I looked it up. Ricky made his first communion when he was little and we really wanna keep going to mass and receiving the body of Christ.” He paused and glanced shyly at Ricky before continuing. “It makes me feel closer to God.”

  Arthur and Jenny exchanged a look. Obviously, Lance’s request came as a surprise. “What of Pastor Tom’s services?” Arthur asked hesitantly. “He has been most generous with his time.”

  “Oh, we’ll keep going to them, too,” Ricky put in quickly.

  “It’s just, well, he doesn’t have the Eucharist like the Catholics do,” Lance went on, “and I got baptized Catholic.” He paused a moment, recalling that morning in juvenile hall when he’d had the water poured over his head, and made his first communion and confirmation, too. “I really felt special when I received the body of Christ at Sylmar. I can’t explain it, Dad. It just felt good.”

  Arthur smiled, and Jenny took his hand lovingly. “I confess, Lance, I stopped going to mass in college,” she said with a wistful sigh. “I’d love to experience it again through your eyes. Mind if we tag along?”

  Her grin was all L
ance needed. He laughed and pulled her into a big hug. “That’d be great.”

  So the whole family, Chris included, dressed in appropriate, non-Round Table clothing, and headed off to Immaculate Heart Catholic Church. Naturally, despite an attempt to remain inconspicuous, the most famous family in the world was recognized at once, even though they had slipped into a pew near the back of the large, crowded church. The cavernous, curved ceilings and gigantic crucifix behind the altar were a far cry from the intimate masses Lance had experienced at juvenile hall, but the youth choir was great and he enjoyed how teenagers did all the readings, and even acted as ushers. That part, at least, was like the way Father Mike did things at Sylmar.

  When Lance received the Eucharist, he again noted the bland taste on his tongue, but also felt the familiar warmth spread through him, touching his very soul. He smiled shyly at Ricky as they both returned to their pew. Jenny also received communion, while Arthur and Chris crossed their arms over their hearts and received a blessing from the priest.

  After mass, Arthur and the family were swamped with curious parishioners who wanted to shake a hand or just thank them for attending their church. The teens who’d facilitated the service gazed at Lance in awe, and told him he should join their youth group. Lance smiled graciously, and Ricky lovingly elbowed him like he always did when people swarmed around The Boy Who Came Back. Lance told the teens he would be really busy with the new bill of rights, but he would love to attend whenever he had the time.