Students of New Hope-Solebury High School walked out of their classrooms Wednesday morning to demand an end to gun violence in the wake of last month’s tragic shooting at a Florida school.
Walkouts around Bucks County and the nation were organized by the youth branch of the Women’s March under the hashtag #Enough in response to the tragic incident that took place on Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Students from New Hope-Solebury High School were permitted to leave class at 10 a.m. Wednesday to gather at the school stadium and honor the victims of school violence, although that enlightened approach was not duplicated at every area school. Students at Council Rock School District in Newtown were threatened with disciplinary action for participating.
In New Hope, the names of the victims and their stories were each read aloud by 17 high school students, followed by a moment of silence. Middle school students participated in a “walk-in,” assembling in the gym to discuss safety and to honor the victims from Parkland.
And New Hope-Solebury lower and upper elementary students had in-class lessons about school safety at developmentally appropriate levels, according to school officials.
“I am proud of our kids—my kids—for taking a stand today,” said New Hope-Solebury Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steve Yanni. “Our walk-out was well attended, and our students honored the victims of Parkland, Florida, while making their stance against violence known.”
You, George, are a complete moron. You are suggesting the kids in our schools are responsible for creating mass murderers. Sorry but you are just an utter nitwit.
Observe which side resorts to the most vociferous name-calling and you are likely to have identified the side with the weaker argument and they know it. Not to mention taking on the name of an incarcerated idiot lawyer from the Howard Stern show.
School taxpayer funds were used to promote a political position – plain and simple. This article clearly states that the “Women’s March” organized the Bucks County events. Who do you think the “Women’s March” are??? They are national and purely political. Their sole purpose is to attempt to shape political thought in a “progressive” direction on many social issues. They, themselves, don’t deny this. As such, taxpayer money was used in an illegal, sanctioned by the school district, “walkout.” This was the manipulation of minors, the misuse of tax dollars, indoctrination and political activism during school hours. When will we see a walkout for the 3000 teens killed each year in texting related auto accidents? How about the 60 million aborted babies? How about the thousands of black children murdered in Chicago? Or, any other issue that may be deemed appropriate for a walkout. Who decides? I’m waiting for a lawsuit against the school district when someone decides their issue is worthy and denied. And, I’ll be the first to back them. Gee, who couldn’t see coming the plight of the students declining to participate? This was piss-poor decision making on behalf of the administration. However, the writer views the decision as “enlightened.” I guess we know where he is coming from.
Most of the school shooters had documented, horrible school social experiences. Have these kids who protested nationally, examined their consciences to see to what extent they may have helped create the misfits by being mean, ostracizing anyone who isn’t part of the “in crowd”, etc? I have one question for the students who walked out, did you return to the classroom and befriend an outcast in an attempt to achieve meaningful change? Now, that would be a worthwhile effort.
Now that the student government along withy the administration organized a rally for March 14, will there be a followup rally in Washington D.C. on March 24th? Will any administrators and teachers voluteeer to chaperone the students if they decide to go? Will the administration poll the families as to who would be interested in going by sending out an email to them via its Listserve communication?
I voluntarily attended the walkout yesterday. The only thing that was not voluntary yesterday was a moment of silence in the classroom for the lives lost a month ago. Then, anyone who wanted to go outside did. While students may have felt insensitive if they didn’t walk out, that was their choice. Some chose to stay in the classroom because they wrongly believed it would be a political event. Not one sentence or word was even hinted at the fact of gun control or politics. In fact, one of the speakers mentioned saving the discussion for how to fix this tragedy for another time because it was NOT appropriate for yesterday’s event. Anyone who actually was there yesterday knows that there was no talk of gun control and it was simply a time to gather as students and mourn those who tragically lost their lives and to honor them.
This was a total misrepresentation. The school lied to students. They said this was to honor the victims of the shooting. Instead this was all political. I am super upset about this and I didn’t participate in fear of what has happened. Many students were bullied into this by others because they did not participate. I am super disappointed in the schools staff for deceiving us.
I agree. I was lied to by the school as well and other students. I went for the kids. The fact they call it an anti gun protest is complete garbage. FAKE NEWS AT ITS FINEST
I just want to let everyone know that the title of this article is actually fake news. This was a rally were ya students all came together and honor the students who died in the shooting. Also this rally was for students to come out and stand for whatever they feel. This rally wasn’t just about ending fun violence but of course the classic liberal media will paint a different picture.
I was happy that our district provided options for students that did and did not want to participate. The communication sent to district families stated the event was to honor the recent victims of school shootings and to create awareness that will hopefully, lead to better communication and connections within the student population. Pay attention to the kid eating alone, make new friends, reach out, etc. This was a well thought out approach and very much appreciated by this mom.
NHS Alumni: DO THE WORK! One thing that consistently frustrates me about the Second Amendment debate in America is that we haven’t done the work to truly support the Second Amendment in America. The idea that something as foundational (for some) as the right to bear arms would live in an unmodifiable, cast-in-concrete manner, across time, population density, technology and cultures, is not realistic. The ultra hard-line tactics of lobby and political hacks to have a goal of “do nothing at all ever” smacks of a combination of fear and laziness and, frankly in DC, financial payoff.
If you want guns, turn up the peer pressure, do the work. Create the effective legislation. Establish the appropriate processes. Insist that we account for the fact that modern fire arms are the most effective way in the world to escalate violence.
Do the work because not doing it is leaving the right so cherished by many conservative Americans at risk, while the huge majority of Americans including many gun owners want to resolve this issue.
It’s a shame that the kids here are being portrayed as pro-gun control when in reality a lot of the kids were peer pressured in to walking because they were called “insensitive” for wanting to sit. This walk is not to honor the 17 murdered children, it is to protest the second amendment and the school should call it how is it truly is.