Emma Gonzalez

                            photo by:   Nicholas Kamm/Getty Images

One of the leaders of that extraordinary group of activist-teens from the Parkland, Florida high school is Emma Gonzalez, shown here at the Washington rally.

Emma began by describing what it was like during those "long, tearful, chaotic hours in the scorching afternoon sun . . . not knowing.  No one understood the extend of what had happened. . . . No one knew that the people who had gone missing had stopped breathing long before any of us had even known that a code red had been called."

Emma then read the names of the victjms and talked about the things they would never do again.   And then she did a remarkable thing.   She simply stood in silence.

And she stood there, silent herself, at the podium, and held the crowd in the palm of her silence . . .  for a full six minutes and 20 seconds.   Because that's the length of time that the shooting lasted. 

Incredible.   It's difficult to have even a full minute of silence in a crowd.  But this was intense and powerful.   Here are some reactions from social media posted during the silence:

Elizabeth West (limeylizzie):   "The power of silence is so underestimated.   Emma is holding this crowd in the palm of her hand."
     
Dave (D_opus):  "Amen.  I can't stay silent for more than 30 seconds usually.  Emma is an amazing young woman."

JeffSand (jsand42):  "Brave girl.  Powerful speech.  Congrats on the rally."

Ishmail (imadni):   "Emma is right now exhibiting incredible power."

AJ (AlissaJass):   "Without saying a word.   Emma is a special soul."

Ralph