Students to Walk Out in Protest
 |
students protest in Minnesota following the Feb 14th shooting in Florida Credit: Fibonacci Blue/Wikimedia Commons |
Tomorrow marks four weeks since the school shooting in Parkland, Florida – and students across the nation will march in solidarity, remembering the 17 victims.
While most districts in the region might not have detailed plans in place, they are lending support to those who wish to step out at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14th. The students are walking out to protest the lack of change by the government. Stronger gun laws and safety measures are being demanded in the wake of this latest tragedy.
In association with The National School Walkout scheduled for April 20th – the 18th anniversary of the Columbine shooting – the protest hopes to draw more attention from local, state, and national officials in order to enact the changes needed in firearms related laws and other safety measures. Parkland marks the latest school massacre, but Columbine is one of the first to garner national attention when two students killed 13 classmates and wounded over 20 others.
To honor the latest victims, 17 minutes of silence are planned to start the protest, with many locations then offering an open mic for impact statements by the students and other participants. In Pennsbury, there is expected to be a walkout on the grounds of the high school, with voluntary participation by the student body. While this is not organized by the district, an open letter from the superintendent, Dr. William Gretula, expresses the administration’s support of the protest, as well as commenting on other efforts being made to ensure student safety in wake of the Parkland incident.
Bristol Township School District is offering a similar support system according to their own community letter sent by Superintendent Dr. Melanie Gehrens. Council Rock’s two high schools are reported to be allowing a “walk-in” where students may leave classrooms for designated areas within the school, but not go outside the building for safety concerns.
Comments
Post a Comment