By Roxanne Ramos, Courier Staff Writer
It’s been a little over a week since the walkout to support gun control happened. I made the decision to help organize the walk out because I knew that this was a cause that was worth fighting for. This isn’t a foreign legislation that impacts people hundreds of miles away. The rules and regulations made about guns and gun safety directly impact us, the students.
One of the first prevalent school shootings to happen will have it’s 20 year anniversary next year. Yet, nothing has changed. Students still have to face the fear of going to school because of all the unknown factors that we face being the generation of mass shootings.
We started planning the walkout about a month in advance. A variety of people were involved in the planning. ASB student officers, students feeling passionate about the issue, concerned teachers, and even occasionally administrators.
Maricar Alameda said, “There’s a certain guilt that comes with remaining silent and stagnant when horrific events like the Parkland shooting occur, especially when you know you have the ability to cause change.”
Alameda goes on to say, “It was important to me to be a part of organizing this walkout because what happened in Florida, what’s been happening nationwide – a sort of gun violence endemic, wasn’t something I could just “shrug off.” “
The days approaching the walkout eventually started to disappear and the day was quickly upon us. I was scared and anxious because I had done nothing like this before. But I knew that I couldn’t let this fear stop me from speaking and expressing myself. My fear for the safety of my school and my classmates were greater than any anxiety I had about cutting class.
Being students in the bay area we often forget how privileged we are with the resources we can access. Our parents, teachers, and administrators unofficially supported us in our fight for stricter gun regulation.
Maricar Alameda said it best, “We need prevention, not intervention.”
Seeing the students speak was to me the most powerful message of all. This is our space, our space to learn and dream. This is the teacher’s space to support us in doing that. And now it faces the threat of danger. How do we respond? With the hoaxes and false information being spread lately, it’s imperative more than ever that this needs to be the time for change.
Offering thoughts and prayers aren’t enough, posting pictures with the hashtags “never again” aren’t enough. The chance to create change that’ll affect the rest of our lives can start today.
For more information on how to help cause more awareness on gun regulations go @jlhsmarch14 to sign the petition on how to protect youth from guns.
