Feature Photo By: Izzy Honey- Parents and staff stand while holding up their posters made in support of gun control. Though the staff are not from Rangeview, they were able to support the movement in their community.
Seventeen minutes for seventeen people.
On February 14th, there was yet another school shooting in a Parkland, Florida high school where 17 people lost their lives. The Parkland shooting surpassed the death toll of Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado where 13 people had died. In the last six years since the shooting at Aurora Century movie theater, about 7,000 children have died from gunshot wounds— students, teachers, and parents have had enough.
For years now, there has been an active movement in trying to regulate gun control. In most states, if a person is 18 years of age, they are able to purchase guns in certains states.
Emma Gonzales, a Parkland shooting survivor, was able to give a speech to politicians and to the nation, where she mentions that it is time for change. Since then, there have been three nationally planned protests around the nation. The first one happened yesterday, March 14th, on the one month anniversary of the tragedy. Students across the nation were able to walkout of class at 10 AM yesterday for 17 minutes in honor of the 17 lives lost.
Seniors Danyion Reagan and Lizzie Stacks were able to organize the Rangeview walkout accordingly with admin. Student Leadership has started a committee for the Parkland shooting in which Reagan is the head.
About 300 students left class for the walkout. Afterwards, they were told to return to their third period to be excused. More pictures of the walkout can be found here.
“I’m really passionate about this…” stated Stacks, “I don’t wanna see more kids die for something as trivial as not letting 18 year olds buy guns that are AR 15 and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t do anything.”
At 10 AM during third period, students walked out of class onto the turf in solidarity. About 300 students were in attendance. During the 17 minutes, Stacks read aloud the 17 names of the victims along with a bit of information about them. The students were quiet, respectful — the sniffling of some students was the only thing heard in these moments of silence.
The following are different opinions of staff, students, parents who have one way or another participated in the movement:
Senior Mauresa Mickens
“I feel very passionate and i’m glad that it’s happening because we are a generation that needs to speak up if we want anything to change and people are dying this is very serious and this is something we shouldn’t stand for (killings) so we have to speak up and let people know this is not okay…
“I was in the movie theater when the Century 16 shooting happened and it was just a really scary moment. There was people walking around with blood on their hands. There are people being wheeled out on gurneys, police men running with guns and it was just really traumatizing and devastating. It’s sad that people have to go through this and it’s sad that people lose other people… Just seeing this and being around it was bad enough but there are people who are losing their family members there mothers, their children, their cousins and it’s just terrible. It needs to change.”
Monique Taylor, Social Studies Teacher
“I think it’s great that students are actually getting involved in political issues and that they’re paying attention to government issues and learning about their countries. Hopefully this will rule over into being involved in government issues when they get older and become involved in government issues and learning what’s going in our countries and other countries to be good citizens…”
Senior Danyion Reagan
“Being aware that death is permanent and those students wouldn’t be able to live the rest of their lives because of one student’s decision to murder them. I believe that it was amazing and the turn out was so spectacular. I didn’t realize that as many people believed in the same thing as me and Lizzie did until the walkout. I thought that me and Lizzie’s purpose to do the walkout was just to make people aware of the things that are happening, and show them that people are not insignificant and that everyone has a voice but we need to stand together so that people can hear us. The walkout was necessary for the nation to see that we are done sitting down.”
Junior Edward Ticoalu
“No, I did not walk out… I just have my set views on gun controls. I think that with recent years and increase of gun violence, there’s an increase on gun regulations and I feel that if we were to continue down that path of adding regulations, it would be constitutionalized at a given point. So I believe at a certain point, we should stop adding gun regulations and fight the problem of the cause at psychological level at the state level instead…
Yes [the walkout] was a good idea but it could have been done more effectively. Yes this movement raises awareness through representatives and everyo
ne else, but there are better ways to approach the situation.”
Larry Silva, Rangeview Parent
“I just believe that there should be tougher restrictions on being able to get semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15…I dont think theres enough parents supporting their students.”
Senior Josh Wall
“I didn’t walk out because I felt that the best way to mourn a great individual is to do the best you can do in your own life. So when I looked at myself yesterday, I didn’t feel as if me walking out would of made myself any better. So I stayed in class and worked to respect the education they sadly do not get to continue.”
There will be a nationwide march on Saturday, March 24th and another walkout on April 20th — the anniversary of the Columbine shooting — where students will march to the Aurora Municipal Center. For any questions on how to be further involved, contact Lizzie Stacks, president of the Social Justice Club.
To watch the live periscope of the walkout, click here.
