Walkout for Gun Violence
The walkout was organized in solidaridy with the victims of the Uvalde shooting.
Yesterday afternoon, Green Level High School held a walkout to honor the victims of gun violence.
The walkout was organized alongside various other local schools through Students Demand Action, nonprofit organizing to end gun violence in America. The event occurred in solidarity with the horrifying Robb Elementary massacre, in which at least 21 people, 19 of which were students, were violently murdered by a school shooter. To raise awareness of the massacre, students all over the nation walked out of class at noon. They headed to the field, where they remained for 21 minutes–one for each victim. Green Level did a similar walkout in 2018 to show solidarity with the school shooting at Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Florida.
The innocent lives lost in Ovalde, Texas, were memorialized by the Green Level student body. Some embraced the open mic by sharing a few words about gun control in the US–in fact, so many students wished to speak that the event went well over 21 minutes. Others simply sat in silence, listening to others and reflecting on the tragedy. Everyone participated in a chant, where they called out for change and memorized the names of those lost. It seemed that the whole student body was in agreement; no child should go to school and not come back home, no matter their age, race, or location.
Of the many students who spoke, some quotes remained ringing in everyone’s heads. “I have a little brother… and it’s sad that I’m scared for him to go to school,” said a student, before discussing the similar violence in Buffalo earlier this week. “We cannot outrun a gun,” insisted one of his peers, before adding, “It is not we who have to change, it is the access to the weapon itself.”
After the walkout, many students applauded the turnout and felt emotionally impacted by the event. “It was very powerful,” shares one student, “And I liked seeing so many people show up for the victims.”
“It was a great initiative,” says another, “But our school should have follow-up initiatives.” Many students voiced similar viewpoints, enjoying the ceremony but wishing to further pay their respects and donate to the families. If you too were inspired by the walkout, The Texas Tribune, Reader’s Digest, and NPR have compiled lists of resources to send aid to victims’ families and communities.
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