We got the news in first period, although everyone had already heard, we got the alerts on our phones.
School shooting, just hours away. Some people knew kids there. We pulled up the live feed of the news story and heard a girl over the phone describe how she was hiding across the street, behind a hardware store. A couple kids got visibly upset; the teacher changed what was on the projector, looked up some “fail” video to keep our minds off it.
But it was too late, the tone of the school had changed, there was still a constant chatter but it wasn’t the same happy, excited teen chatter that normally filled the halls and commons, it was lower, there were less smiles more somber faces. Some kids were sitting, head in their hands. Others talking about how scared they were, and how they shouldn’t have to live in this fear, worrying if, when it will happen to our school.
We don’t know what to do, we’re sad and scared but angry. We don’t want this anymore, we want change. We shouldn’t have to live like this, worrying every day if this will be it, if one kid will finally “snap” and it will be our last day, the last day of our friends. We’re still kids, why do we have to live in this constant state of paranoia and fear?
Why is it that every high schooler I ask thinks that there will be at least an attempted school shooting before they graduate?
We’re doing a moment of silence at 1, but this isn’t enough. We shouldn’t be having to grieve for this kids, we shouldn’t have to be “remembering” these kids, they should still be alive, getting ready to graduate, relaxing after exams. This never should have happened. What happened to “never again” how many more Children have to be killed before there’s change? How many more of my friends, of your daughters, sons, kids, have to be killed before there’s change, before we really can stick to the promise of “never again”
This isn’t a time for silence this is a time for action, this is a time for change. We don’t want your prayers, we want your votes, your voice to stop this! We can stop this. we can prevent these mass shootings!
Please, we’re just kids, we deserve a childhood free from fear.