EDITORIAL: What difference can 17 minutes make?
By Kylee Hinkle
I'm mad that politicians refuse to listen to the young people that will one day run this country.
I'm scared to send my own children into a school where strangers are the caretakers and they are surrounded by mental health patients with a touchy finger.
Finally, I'm sad that innocent lives were lost because a unmedicated man took his anger out on them.
One month ago to the day, the date of a holiday for love, gained a new meaning when a man walked into Majory Stoneman Douglas High School. His actions gave the families of the 17 victims every reason to never love Valentine's Day again.
All over the nation, at 10 am on Wednesday, students, parents and school staff walked outside and gave those victims seventeen minutes of silence and gave politicians seventeen minutes of hard facts to face, demanding that school shootings have to stop.
Lesly Velasco, a junior at West High, is the president of the Young Democrat Association (YDA). She led many Pioneers outside for the protest.
Posters were scattered all over the lawn of West High saying things such as "Normalize the protection of children, Not the protection of gun's" and "No more silence, END the gun violence." Some posters even asked, "It was them yesterday. Could it be me today?"
Since the Columbine High School shooting in Jefferson County, Colorado, back in 1999, the Untied States has encountered mass shooting in schools, movie theaters and nearly everywhere where they shouldn't be.
Wednesday's protest was for many a time to inform politicians the youth of Kansas won't stand quiet. During the walk out many shared speeches and more shed tears.
Marisela Avitia had to fight back tears while expressing the fear she had while being in school.
"Ms.Steele waited before she let us go outside (during the unexpected fire alarm a few weeks back) in order to make sure there was no gunshots," Avitia said.
"Ms.Steele waited before she let us go outside (during the unexpected fire alarm a few weeks back) in order to make sure there was no gunshots," Avitia said.
Now the question remains if the politicians will listen to Kansas youth, the next generation of Kansas voters, and make gun laws stricter.
Walk Up, Not out was a huge movement on social media saying Walk Up to the kid who sets alone, Walk Up to the kid to the outsiders. This movement is all about kindness.
While Walk Up is a great start, the Walk Out did have impact. Protesters were able to express their concerns and voices their opinions. It gave politicians knowledge that we have voices and we are not afraid to use them.
The Sandy Hook Promise is a nonprofit organization that was set up after the 2012 elementary school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. The group released a Public Service Announcement that follows a kid named Evan who is receiving messages from a mystery girl written on the tables. While it appears to follow the two teen lovers, it really is showing what happens in the background. Every time Evan is shown what people don't pay much attention to is that in the background there is a young teen boy who showed signs of planning a school shooting but went unnoticed.
No one can really know when a shooting will happen but there are ways to prevent them. Wichita Public Schools follows a national program called See Something, SAY SOMETHING! You could save more lives than the number of people who might get mad at you for doing the right thing.
Violence in schools has to end! When we said red was to represent Valentine's Day, we didn't mean blood red across the walls on a day where innocent lives were lost.No parent should have to get a call saying their child is dead at this moment.
No teachers should have to worry where to hide the kids while they lock the door.
No student should have to worry about if their siblings or their friends are alive.
No human being should have life taken away because they were trying to better their education and their future.
If our politicians refuse to do anything than we have to start doing something ourselves. One step is to begin noticing the things happening around us. Today the walk out was peaceful, though emotional. Let's make sure it stays that way.
If our politicians refuse to do anything than we have to start doing something ourselves. One step is to begin noticing the things happening around us. Today the walk out was peaceful, though emotional. Let's make sure it stays that way.
School Shooting PSA Click here to watch Evans story,
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