By Deb Murphy
Wednesday morning on the lawn in front of Bishop High School, senior Jordan Kost held a banner listing the names and ages of the victims of last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida. At the bottom of the list Kost wrote “Enough.”
The same sentiments were reflected at a smaller gathering at City Park, a month after the last in a too long list of students and teachers who died too young.
The main topic at both events wasn’t gun control, but how to guarantee that Parkland would be the last mass school shooting. “We came out for the students,” Kost said, “and to look for the solutions.”
The consensus was everyone was scared, Kost said, “and that’s not okay.”
“We were honoring the lives lost,” Kost said in a phone interview. He called the walk-out positive, at the same time acknowledging that was an odd word to use for a sad event. “You have to stand tall,” he said. “You have to listen and hope others listen back.”
Mental health was a topic at both the school and the park. How do you identify students so alienated they turn to violence? A woman near tears at City Park thought metal detectors were part of the solution.
The school walk-out is the first of a national movement. Marches are scheduled for Saturday, March 24 and Friday, April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting that took 13 lives. Bishop High students participating in Wednesday’s walk-out weren’t even born then.
Then came the shooting at Virginia Tech, April 16, 2007, 33 dead; Sandy Hook, December 14, 2012, 26 dead; a community college in Roseburg, Oregon, October 1, 2015, 10 dead.
While schools nation-wide have incorporated additional safety measures, to Kost it seems nothing has been done. “Kids are still dying,” he said. “Things get drawn out for a while, but then they die down when something else comes along.”
With the strong activism of the Parkland students, Kost’s hope is this time it will be different. “We have to face the fear with courage and intellect,” he said.
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Well since the abortion topic seemed to ruffle some feathers, let’s use texting while driving as an example. Six children ages 16-19 are killed EVERY DAY due to texting while driving but where is the national outcry to prevent this??
I don’t see cities supplying dozens of buses to transport children to D.C. so that could protest these other causes of deaths that are much more probable.
Baltimore City is supplying 60 buses this weekend to ship children to protect in D.C at a cost of $1,000,000. These children are merely being manipulated to further the agenda on gun control.
If a lot of these talking heads really cared about the children, they would work towards preventing the numerous other reasons of teen death that are more prevalent than school shootings.
Also, the data on teen gun violence is skewed by inert city violence on minorities. These kids are at an extremely higher rate to be victim of gun crime, from each other. Black teens are roughly 2000 times more likely to be killed by another black teen than by a police officer, “white” person or any other reason for that matter.
Most, if not all of these deaths are from inert cities which also have the most strict gun control. But where is the protests (besides BLM) to help prevent these deaths? In my opinion, the guns are not the main issues. Violent movies, video games, music, and a culture that celebrates violence, gang culture, degrading women, fatherless homes, generational victimhood all play a large role in these deaths.
If Hollywood, the gaming industry and the like cared soo much, why don’t they donate the money they make from their violent movies and games that celebrate gun violence and death?
Inyo Loca,
Maybe being shot at school is more on student minds because they are rarely killed by abortion or texting drivers while in their high school classrooms?
Got a source for that 1 mil claim? Mayor said 100k with private donations. Both of you seem to be throwing numbers out your hat.
Low Inyo’s feathers are always ruffled.
Inyo Local – you’re on point!
Inyo Local….When I make the mistake of watching the National news networks recent lead-stories ,I just think it would be interesting,and kinda funny for them to support or preach much about “morals,relationships,and respect “,and bringing families closer together….
I personally cannot support children who are not responsible enough to vote, to push for “gun control” on the dime of politicians left of center. It’s the same tired policies the Democrats have been pushing for what now, 30 years? What’s the cliche definition of insanity? Odd how no one is holding local law enforcement, the school board, or the FBI accountable for the negligence that directly led to these murders. Current firearms regulations would have prevented this but Broward county only wanted federal funding, not the safety of children. The push to strip law abiding citizens of their civil rights shameful if not disgusting.
Realworld Problems….Judging from I’ve been seeing and hearing the past 18 months or so,maybe what this Country should have done back in November 2016 is GIVEN children the right to vote this time around and let the “responsible adults” sit this last election out…
Curious as to when the school will support the walk out to reduce child deaths from abortion. ALL gun related deaths nationwide average 35,141 while national average of deaths from abortion is 1,011,335.
Isn’t the slogan “if we can save just one life, it will all be worth it”. There are numerous other causes of death besides firearms but we focus on the inanimate object and want to punish law abiding citizens for the actions of a few.
How about a walk out to publicize the need for morals, healthy family relationships, respect, understanding and mental health support.
Maybe I’m the crazy one….
Inyo Local….you state “How about a walk out to publicize the need for morals,healthy family relationships,respect,understanding and mental health support “….agree with you on that there,but wonder,if it were to happen, how the trump administration and many of his supporters would deal with that kinda walk out…. would be interesting to see what they would say and if THEY could support that with a straight-face…..
Low-Inyo… as far as the President and his administration are concerned, I doubt they would care the slightest either way. As far as supporters of the President, I don’t see why they wouldn’t support such an event that would work towards bringing our children, families and communities closer together. Wasn’t one of the main focuses of their campaign to “Make America great again”, “drain the swamp”, etc?
How do you think the previous administration and their supporters would react to such a walkout? No President, or person for that matter is infallible. Just look at all of the corruption, racial divide etc. that resulted from the last President and his administration.
I used the topic of abortion as an example, replace it with any topic and see if it receives as much support as a anti-gun event.
Think about how many lives could be spared if young adults were more educated on many fronts, abortion included.
Looks like a Northern California student is planning just such an event as seen here:
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2018/03/20/student-planning-abortion-protest/
Sounds like the student is getting automatic resistance from school staff. Once again, I’m just using the topic of abortion as an example. Showing such aggressive support for gun control but then not for other topics just shows the true colors and motives of many.
Low, I wasn’t tracking that in order to “March for our rights” we were supposed to give a rats about what anyone in office thought about it. Isn’t that why the 1st amendment still stands? The media bias is the only entity that cares about that, they definitely would not support stronger family and morality. Remember, there’s a reason why free media keeps us segregated.
I don’t agree with the administration for allowing this protest without penalty to the students for missing class. Don’t like what is for lunch, go protest. If my kid misses too many classes, I get a letter in the mail. No worries anymore on that front, it’s just a protest. Too much homework? Go ahead, protest. Sorry administrators, you don’t get to pick and choose which protests are allowed and you basically just opened the door for any and all protests, no matter what the subject.
JD, agreed! I’d bet that most kids just wanted to get out of class more than anything.
If this were to happen when I was in school, you find me and my hoodlum friends smoking a joint somewhere out of sight and just being happy we were not in class and not really caring about anything else.
I wish they would start protesting for their civil rights back. These kids live in a total police state compared to 50 years ago .
Now they got these kids protesting to give up more of their civil rights and liberty. Really!
Trouble,
First things first. Have to make the first step to get to thirteenth, twenty sixth, or anything in between.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
That’s the whole point of this debauchery, take away the rights of the people, empower the state. We call them sheep.
@Trouble,
Have you ever traveled to places that were under a control of an actual “police state”?. I have and your flippant use of this term is a gross exaggeration. Taking issue with the ways our law enforcement and legal system protect our society is one thing, but your repeated use of the term “police state” is just plain inaccurate and disrespectful towards those whose job it is to protect our communities.
The future looks brighter than the past or the present.
Charles, can you please try to explain how you can say that?
…Another time I agree with “Trouble ” on this one…with things going on now in America and the world,think things are looking pretty bleak ahead for the next generation…
Young voters throughout our nation soundly rejected Trump’s divisive message during the 2016 election. Young students throughout the country have marched rejecting the NRA and their unbending stance on the reasonable regulation of firearms. The younger generation has shown their faith in science and their concern about protecting our environment for future generations rather than sacrificing it for short term profits. Our younger generation gives me reason to be optimistic for the future.
Charles O….agree with all of your above statement….question is,are we all gonna make it till 2020 until many of them can vote ?
http://www.king5.com/article/news/watch-student-pleads-with-classmates-for-kindness-at-moses-lake-hs-walkout/281-528703282
This young lady has figured it out
the Young People of our Nation have always got it right. Today is no exception.
If you are Grand Parent age maybe you too remember this song.
For What It Is Worth
Buffalo Springfield
There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It’s s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, now, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Songwriters: Stephen Stills
Do they get it right, when they are doing the tide pod challenge? Or sending naked photos? Or threatening to sue every time a teacher asks them to do something?….
Yeah yeah, Philip, we all saw Forrest Gump; but life isn’t Hollywood movie, I’m sorry to say.
P.A.,
Don’t know if any of us have it “right”, and it may be pretentious of me to say they do or don’t. They certainly have the right of peaceable assembly and to petition for redress of grievances. I’ll stand by them on that any day.
We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey!
Teacher, leave them kids alone!
All in all it’s just another brick in the wall
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall
Buffalo Springfield released “For What it’s Worth” in January 1967. It proved to be prophetic. It proved to be an anthem for a generation and now we all have gray hair and horizons. Vietnam proved to be an outrage on every level. Young people in the streets had their say despite the national interest to pursue the war and there was death, young Americans killing Vietnamese and young Americans killing young Americans at Kent State. And now more needless death, pain and sorrow. Thank God for the outrage.
Young people get it right when they come together and speak with one voice. Listen to what they want, listen to what they say. They are telling us that we don’t have it right and they are telling us how to fix it.
All of us gray hairs. We can get it right when we collectively reach a common goal, express a common purpose and stand up and stand in solidarity with each other. We were not raising children, we were raising adults. The daughters and sons of our daughters and sons are calling us out. This is getting it right. The future is in good hands if we listen and if we can see the true vision of that future.
I commend all who participated. The best way to change the attitudes in this country is to register to vote then vote for candidates who have the best interests of the country in mind. It’s your future to determine. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Participate and be the change.
There is so much more to this than just guns, good to hear mental illness was brought up, bullying should also be a topic of conversation if it hasn’t already.
High school kids are smart enough to understand school shootings and protesting and old enough to make a decision for themselves, however when elementary kids (Mammoth kids anyway) walkout I feel they are being used as political pawns by their teachers. These teachers have said that the kids made the decision on their own but do these kids even understand what it is they are doing? Do they even fully understand what protesting is? I think not, they are children, not high school children or middle school children but elementary school children.
There is no place for indoctrinating children in our schools, these teachers have lost their way and they ought to be ashamed of themselves.
Indoctrination by the public schools is just one of many reasons parents choose to homeschool their children or place their children in a different school often making career and life changes to accomplish this. I don’t know who these teachers think they are or what it is they think they are accomplishing but they have completely lost their way.
Shame on those teachers who “allowed” these children to make that decision and shame on those teachers for using them as their own personal political pawns.
Let the children be children.
Peace.