#Marchforourlives, #Protectthesecond, #Neveragain, Moms Demand Action. These and similar hashtags have trended in recent months as movements promoting increased gun control or rights spread across social media. Mother of three, including a MHS freshman, Mrs. Sarah Buck, sought to join the movement after the Las Vegas shooting in October.
“At that point, I felt like, I can’t sit and be depressed anymore. I have to be depressed while I am doing something,” Mrs. Buck said.
However, parents are not the only people getting involved. Jenny Waterson, senior, went with her mom to the Moms Demand Action group’s first meeting.
“It was a lot of intense people,” Jenny said. “It felt like a lot of people were ready to get something going.”
Mrs. Buck notes students’ unique place in the gun conversation. As she researches and debates gun policy, those situations are separate from the classroom.
“You guys are the ones who have to do the active shooters drills,” Mrs. Buck said. “I feel like, you, as students, have so much more at stake sometimes than I person- ally do, because I am worried about your lives, my son’s life and all my kids lives, but you guys are personally affected by it everyday.”
In cooperation with administration, Student Government and Civics club are hosting ‘Stangs Stand With Parkland, a walkout to the Fieldhouse next Wednesday at 9:55 a.m., the one month anniversary of the Parkland shooting.
“I feel like this has been the first time that I can remember where an issue has arisen where the main voices I am hear- ing are student voices,” Student Body President Tara Layous, senior, said. “It is really important for people to realize that.”
While students are invited to share their voice by going to the event, students who actually walk out of the school build- ing will face repercussion due to security reasons, according to administration.
“I think our students are smart enough to know that just walking out to the street really doesn’t say anything. It’s a photo-op for a newspaper,” Principal Mike Wells said. “I think by students voicing their opinion to their local legislature or national legislature would be more productive than just walking out in front of the school.”
Tara sees the event in the Fieldhouse as an opportunity to hear students’ voices.
“It is a cool feeling to know I am not controlling the conversation in any way, neither is administration,” Tara said, “but our entire student body is being given an opportunity to control the conversation.”