On Saturday night at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester, the top teams in the Louder Than a Bomb youth poetry slam festival competed for the state championship. Through their work, the poets presented the issues that affect them, covering oppression, violence, racial inequality, and myriad other social and political topics, with immense clarity and force. I suggest that attendance at future Louder Than a Bomb festivals be a high priority for legislators, educators, and community leaders. These kids have something powerful to say, and every one of us should be listening.

Susanna Arthur

Groton