Manchester fifth-grade students rally in street against single-use plastic bags

This article by Greg Sukiennik originally appeared Oct. 4 in the Bennington Banner.

MANCHESTER — The single-use plastic bag debate in Manchester isn’t over — not as far as a determined and energetic group of elementary school students is concerned.

The students, among those who appeared at last week’s Manchester Select Board meeting to advocate for a local ban on single-use plastic bags as an environmental hazard, took their cause to the streets of Manchester on Sunday, staging a rally at the roundabout at Main and Depot streets.

The girls jumped up and down as they chanted their support for a ban. “We won’t wait for the state, no more plastic bags!” and “do something drastic, cut the plastic!” they shouted at the top of their voices, and cheered when cars passing honked their horns in support.

Harper Wilson, a fifth-grader at Manchester Elementary Middle School, had emailed a number of her classmates and friends on Saturday night about continuing to lobby for a ban. She and her friends assembled ahead of time to make signs, and then took their place along the roundabout shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Read full article at the Bennington Banner.

(Fair use with written permission from the New England Newspapers Inc.)

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Olybrius

9 thoughts on “Manchester fifth-grade students rally in street against single-use plastic bags

  1. Here’s an idea, if you are against using plastic bags, do not use plastic bags. I’m against liberals brainwashing kids.

  2. This isn’t the 5th graders. It is their parents and teachers on instilling socialist/liberalism into their young minds. Our State is really going to hell.

  3. Teaching activism is one of the first steps in preparing our youth to participate in mob rule!

    We hear the “we can’t wait” slogan all too often now even from non profit groups like the Vermont Council on Rural Development. It seems activism is being place above due process and respect for those in authority.

    Encouraging the mob mentality is dangerous, learning to stand up and holler when things don’t go you way sets a bad precedent and instills little or no understanding of how our system should work.

    Is protesting a better curriculum than respect?

  4. Indoctrination, start them young it’s easy to manipulate their tender minds. Liberals trying to prove their programs are relevant. Shameful!! Teach the children the basics (reading, writing & arithmetic) not global warming, transgender studies or other foolishness to our children. Indoctrination.

  5. Well it is refreshing to see a Selectboard that understands common sense and in not bowed over by propaganda from 5th grade teachers.
    There is hope after all!

    • This is a product of government education centers in conjunction with the NEA, making good little comrades of the nations children.

  6. Only if these kids, all their parents, and the educators put this much energy into pressuring both Municipalities & State Govt into cutting spending & size of Govt including bringing the people of Vermont relief by ridding this State of numerous wasteful Bureaucrats, their Bureaucracies & repealing the laws rules & regs that created them. Maybe a little more energy could be put into pushing the repeal of all the un-Constitutional laws pushed and passed by people so anti American anti Constitution how are they able/ allowed to make an Oath to Uphold & Defend Constitutions these leftists are inherently against, which are our Rights and Freedoms as Americans & Vermonters guaranteed in the Federal & States Founding Documents.

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