The group of teens gathered in a science class room at Tucson High are not there to talk biology. They’re talking about how fear of being shot is hindering their studies.
“We want regulations on guns,” said Tucson High junior Vivian Reynoso, president of school’s Human Rights Club. “We want to not be afraid to come to school and worry that someone is going to come in with a gun and shoot us.”
Perhaps living in a time when school shootings are no longer shocking has matured these teens. Like many students who endured the Feb. 14 school shooting in Florida, they are having no problem articulating what they want.
Some want stricter gun regulations. They all want the government to take clear action that sees results. They will all be sharing their ideas of what that action looks like at the March 24 rally, March for Our Lives.
“We’re fighting for this, and this is what we want,” Reynoso said. “We’re gonna keep fighting until they give it to us.”
March for Our Lives—a nationwide rally for better gun regulation and school safety measures—was started by student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, after 17 people were killed by a former student with a legally-purchased AR-15.
The central march is in Washington D.C., and could be the biggest march, nationwide, since the Women’s March, with close to 600 cities signed up at marchforourlives.com.
Press filled the Tucson High classroom, on Friday afternoon, where about 30 teens from a number of local high schools, including Flowing Wells, Catalina Foothills, University High, Marana High, City High and Tucson High, candidly faced the media’s cameras and spoke of their experience, growing up dealing with gun violence in schools.
“Our safety in school should be the number one concern because no parent should ever have to let their kid go to school and not have their kid come back home,” said Marana High School student Eric Brown. “It shouldn’t be on our minds to be afraid to be in school. Our number one priority is our education—that’s why we’re in school.”
University High sophomore Sharmila Dey said after the Florida shooting, her teachers gave the class a talk about what to do in the event of a school shooting.
“Just the fact that we have to talk about that is ridiculous,” she said. “Even being worried about that is not something we should have to do as students trying to get an education at school…. And we should not have to be the ones who say, ‘this needs to stop.’ But I think the students’ voices are gonna be the most important in making the change.”
Mark Kelly, the husband or former-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, came and spoke at the press conference, organized by the teens. His main piece of advice was to become politically active—and when they can—vote.
Giffords survived being shot in the head in Tucson’s own mass shooting, in 2011. Six people died. Kelly and Giffords will be marching on March 24 in D.C.
“Voting matters, and it matters a lot,” Kelly said. “The people we elect to office, they’re gonna care about you showing up here and marching in the streets of Tucson, or where ever you decide to do that. But what they’re gonna care about as much is what all of you do on the day after this march, the week after this march, the month after. And then it’s about really showing up and having your voices heard in an election.”
March for Our Lives is at 11 a.m. on March 24, starting at Jacome Plaza, 101 N. Stone Ave., marching down Fourth Avenue to the University of Arizona, where there’ll be speaker until around 4 p.m.
There are also partner events, co-sponsored by YWCA Stand Together Arizona Training and Advocacy and March for our Lives, Tucson:
- Banner and Sign Making, March 11, 1 to 4 p.m. at the YWCA, 525 N. Bonita Ave.
- Peacekeeper Training with Veterans for Peace — workshop on non-violent techniques for peaceful rallies — March 11, 1 to 2 p.m. at the YWCA.
This article appears in Mar 8-14, 2018.
Gun Control is but a “Band Aid” approach to the Violence in our Communities!!! We have Little or NO sense of Community; a Failure of the Fundamental Importance of Public Education in our Democracy: teaching Citizens to Understand and Respect the Diversity in our Democracy: that the very nature of our Democracy creates a Complementary/Interactive, Mutual Dependent Social System with the Requirement to provide Assistance to others when Assistance is Necessary.
There is Critical/Lethal Defect in our Democracy if it is necessary for Citizens to Arm themselves for Protection from other Citizens:
Violence Begets Violence: Gospel of Matthew, verse 26:52. The passage depicts a disciple (identified in the Gospel of John as Saint Peter) drawing a sword to defend against the arrest of Jesus but being told to sheath his weapon:
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.”
“…..Remember Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes exhausts and murders itself. There never was a Democracy Yet, that did not commit suicide……” From John Adams to John Taylor, 17 December 1814
Nice, Francis. I thought at first oh here goes one of those nutcases again, especially given the Profusion of Unnecessary Capital Letters but upon actually reading your response, I agree completely about the underlying issues. Nonetheless, what you call a “Band Aid” is necessary. Those who think the kids should stay “safe” in their schools tomorrow at 10 AM are missing the crucial fact that their schools are not “safe” because of the number of guns on the streets. The NRA would rather protect their profits than the kids, and the kids know it. I will be on the street at 10 AM tomorrow because being on the street is the only way to make the schools safe. We don’t need to read about dystopian futures, this is a dystopian present.
Guns, guns, guns are the problem. Not Jeebus, not societal attitudes.
Accessibility to high-powered rifles, auto-loading pistols, armor piercing bullets, etc,… can and should be drastically cut. The problem is that, people such as yourselves dont have the spine to do what that requires. Sadly, the children that you’re raising here in Arizona also do not have them. They’re still looking to gain their parent’s approval for their actions. They should be walking out of their classes and shutting down their schools, and the weapon industries that you are continuing to protect, through your pontification.
As adults, you have failed horribly. When you begin to wrap your heads about that, and acknowledge the real problem then, and only then, will you start protecting them.
We neither need, nor should we allow, this level of weaponry sophistication in the hands of any civilian. Least of all, should they be allowed to be available to any child, either through direct sale or unsecured access.
Let us look at the NRA, Gun Control Laws and the 2nd Amendment of our Constitution.
“….The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered as the palladium of the liberties of a republic since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers and will generally even if these are successful the first instance enable the people to resist and triumph over them…..” Story, Joseph (1833) Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States. Boston: Hilliard, Gray and Company. Cambridge: Brown, Shattuck, and Co. Volume III, page 746747, 1890.
The NRA advocacy of the 2nd Amendment is completely Bogus!! As Justice Story has said, the 2nd Amendment was incorporated into our Constitution to effect Political Change by Assassination ! Both President Lincoln and President Jefferson believed in the Assassination of Political Leaders as a means for Political Changes in Our Democracy. (Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address March 4, 1861; Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, Paris, 13 Nov. 1787).
The 2nd Amendment of our Constitution Must be repealed. The 2nd Amendment and Gun Control Laws will NOT change Human Behavior. Once again, we have little or no sense of Community; a Critical/Lethal Defect in our Democracy when it is necessary for Citizens to Arm themselves for protection from other Citizens and to effect Political Change!!
More chances to support students coming up –
Sunday, March 18 – peacekeeper training and banner Making at the Valdez library 1-4 pm
Look for the March for our Lives, Tucson on Facebook to learn more!
Danyelle Khmaras recent articles on gun violence misfires and fails to focus on the some of the major issues surrounding violence in our school system.
The focus of how to protect our students is a paramount, yet we shy away from restoring discipline within our school systems, schools must hold student and parents accountable for their actions. Softening the penalties for the offenses committed, communicates a sense of lawlessness amongst the student body and prevents students within the system who need intervention and assistance hampered by the inaction of a school administration. Schools are supposed to be an institution of learning, but when teachers are reduced to being a referee within their classrooms, enlightenment in many ways becomes shrouded under a basket.
When schools fail to address the hardening of the target, having one point of entry, having the exterior doors locked, displaying of student identification cards at all times and participation in active shooter drills within the school environment are just a few of the corrective measures that could be taken and implemented now.
The debate over Gun Free Zones is and of itself fruitless. Anyone who commits a criminal act involving a gun is not concerned with a sign prohibiting their behavior. Any criminal act involving a firearm is aggravated by the possession or use of that firearm during the course of a criminal act repeal this law.
The debate over the banning of semi automatic rifles, sets its sights upon the lawful gun owner, instead of focusing on the criminal. Again, the criminal has no respect or comprehension of the law, any measured expectations would be minimal at best.
But the heart of this matter falls within one arena, its called HIPPA. The recent school shootings and other heinous acts involved individuals who had a number red flags concerning their behavior, behavior that should have warranted law enforcement action and seizure of any firearm in their possession or control. The definitions and conditions warranting action that prevents an individual from purchasing, buying, owning or possessing a firearm or ammunition of any caliber must be developed and supported by individuals who represent the legal, psychiatric and medical authorities of our society. As a community at large, we have failed these children because we have failed to act upon what we have tirelessly previously discussed and then returned it to its place upon the shelf.
Firearms removed and taken for safekeeping should not be released to the individual in question unless it is ordered by the court and the individual has been cleared and the investigation closed. This individual whether or not we approve must be afforded their due process concerning their right to own and bare arms. The removal of rights will be a serious and contentious matter but needed in order to protect the lawful as well as the lawless.
I read your article Trigger Unhappy and noted that you failed to mention that the shooter in Florida, repeatedly failed the litmus test of law enforcement and the school where he attended, but this information was not transmitted to all of the concerned parties in Florida, who were concerned about the mental stability and criminal behavior of the individual these agencies failed to protect these children and their community.
Sharmila Dey thinks that talking about this issue is ridiculous. By her viewpoint should we also not talk about drugs, violence, teen pregnancy because she feels uncomfortable would you not want a student to be informed and prepared for any type of event that could occur in or around a school setting. Dey opinion like any other student is important and hopefully she and others will suggest tangible solutions to the broad discussion of school safety and gun control. There have been some students from Florida who misrepresent the issues surrounding school safety and gun control, they have become more or less a drummer keeping rhythm with the media whose ideals are transmitted to and through them for a few seconds of recognition. Instead of making a dent in this discussion and providing corrective recourse to this dilemma, they have been duped and will soon be sidelined when their respective popularity wanes.
The age in order to purchase a firearm in Florida has been risen to 21. This change may be challenged in the courts on constitutional grounds and issues. I wonder if Florida intends to change the purchase of alcohol, cigarettes, voting and enlistment into our military to 21. Age is not a prerequisite for maturity or automatically deem all of our concerns for and about an individual addressed. Therefore, the best place to being is at the beginning, taking one step at a time, in order to all of the issues contained within this conundrum in our society.