There are twenty-two thousand children in this district this evening and it would help them, and it costs nothing.”

Two minutes fifty-one.

And then the board president said, “Thank you, ma’am,” and called the next speaker.

That is what happens.

Nobody asked me a question.

Nobody responded.

Seven adults looked at me with their hands folded and said nothing at all.

And I walked back to the third row absolutely certain that I had wasted four months.