'NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO STAND UP' Student Events: Wed, March 14; Sat, March 24; Fri, April 20

[appalachiablue]

NBC NEWS, Feb. 18: - STUDENTS SEIZE CONTROL OF GUN DEBATE, PLAN WALKOUTS AND MARCH -

Students are taking hold of the gun debate in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, by organizing a series of school walkouts across the country and a march in Washington to protest gun violence.
*THE WOMEN'S MARCH-YOUTH BRANCH, students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — the site of the Valentine's Day attack in Parkland that killed 17 people — and a Connecticut student who lives a short drive from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, where 26 people were killed in 2012, are all working to take hold of the national conversation with a series of events.
VIDEO: *How Many More Students Are Going to Have to Die? Cameron Kasky and Parkland HS students.

It will begin with the WOMEN'S MARCH- EMPOWER branch, which is dedicated to youth-led advocacy. The group has called for "students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies" to take part in a NATIONAL SCHOOL WALKOUT on MARCH 14. The goal is for students and staff across the country to walk out of their classrooms for 17 minutes at 10 a.m. "to protest Congress' inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods," the organization said in a statement. "WE NEED ACTION," it said.
Students from Parkland, meanwhile, are organizing their own event on MARCH 24 in Washington called the "MARCH FOR OUR LIVES." The protest will "demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues," according to its mission statement. "No special interest group, no political agenda is more critical than timely passage of legislation to effectively address the gun violence issues that are rampant in our country."..

"The tragedy at Stoneman Douglas was not because of Stoneman Douglas," junior Cameron Kasky said. "It was because people like Nikolas Cruz were able to buy these weapons. "We're not going to let the 17 bullets we just took take us down," he added. "If anything, we're going to keep running and lead the rest of the nation behind us." Some Douglas students said they might not return to school until their demands are addressed. "Our community and nation have taken too many bullets to the heart, and now is the time for us to stand up," said David Hogg, a senior. "I will not feel safe going back to school myself until reasonable mental health care legislation and gun control legislation is passed."

In addition to the D.C. protest, several Parkland students are also planning to march in Florida's capital, TALLAHASSEE, this week. "One hundred of my classmates and I will be traveling to Tallahassee this Tuesday and Wednesday to speak with our State Senators and House of Representative members...
Another nationwide walkout, planned by Connecticut high school student Lane Murdock, is set for APRIL 20 — the *19th anniversary of the Columbine, Colorado, shootings, which killed 12 high school students and a teacher. Murdock said she was "unhappy" with the nation's reaction to the Parkland shootings, so she started an online petition for a national student movement...

VIDEO: Survivors of NEW MEXICO school shooting share Parkland's pain. "Gun violence surrounds us."

MORE, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/students-seize-control-gun-debate-plan-walkouts-march-n849226

[Kath2]

1. Right on.

I will try to attend the DC event.

[appalachiablue]

3. This has to be done! We also want to attend the national march in DC Sat., March 24

The power of the young, whose lives are at stake is remarkable!

"Young Wolves, Show Me Your Teeth" ~ John Steinbeck

[Hekate]

2. KnR

[BigmanPigman]

4. The March 14th Walkout is supported by the Women's March group.

They announced it on Fri and the number of sites has tripled since I was first alerted and posted it then. The March 24 one is DC and for FL schools to walkout that day. Here is the link for the growing Walkout list and sites which will be attended by parents, educators, students and community members. I have had a lot of gmail from the group for my local event since city and county govt officials are going to be scheduled as well. It is being held at my Ed Center (I was a teacher and union rep for almost 20 years) and it is a great location in San Diego , CA. I was teaching and had "routine" gun drills with my first graders after Sandy Hook. I had to tell two diff principals that our classroom doors only open out (can't barricade them) and only lock FROM THE OUTSIDE!
https://www.actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/enough-national-school-walkout
https://m.facebook.com/events/1767175080245694/?link_id=6&can_id=bfcadfa948ac07d9bf5b1038644acae5&source=email-enough-4&email_referrer=email_303063&email_subject=enough
Women’s March Youth EMPOWER is calling for students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies to take part in a #NationalSchoolWalkout for 17 minutes at 10am across every time zone on March 14, 2018 to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods. We need action. Students and allies are organizing the national school walkout to demand Congress pass legislation to keep us safe from gun violence at our schools, on our streets and in our homes and places of worship.

Students and staff have the right to teach and learn in an environment free from the worry of being gunned down in their classrooms or on their way home from school.

Parents have the right to send their kids to school in the mornings and see them home alive at the end of the day.

We are not safe at school. We are not safe in our cities and towns. Congress must take meaningful action to keep us safe and pass federal gun reform legislation that address the public health crisis of gun violence. We want Congress to pay attention and take note: many of us will vote this November and many others will join in 2020.

Join us in saying #ENOUGH!

[appalachiablue]

5. Yes, the involvement of the Women's March groups is so important.

Thanks much for all the info., keeping people up to date on all these events is critical.

I've appreciated your posts about teaching, esp. how it takes real strength to prepare and handle children in emergencies, yes!

We have teachers in the family for generations, from pre-school to college and I worked a museum educator so these issues really hit home. My dad, whose father was a rural school teacher at age 16, graduated engineering at Va. Tech, post-WWII. The 2007 massacre there would've hurt him tremendously if he'd been around to see it.

The murder shootings in the US must end!

~ Power to the kids, families, teachers, schools, communities and all!

[appalachiablue]

6. Kicking for circulation