As a teacher, I'm so proud. Teens get a bad rap in the media, but in my almost 20 years of teaching high school, I've always seen the truth that they are, on the whole, much more engaged, informed, and intelligent than adults usually think. Social media has many downsides, even negative effects on school and the classroom, but this instance is another example of the positive power of new media for organizing and collaborating and communicating. I hope the grownups (especially those representing us in government) listen and do something.

This is very important. These kids are going to learn a very hard lesson about reality and that is policy makers who are in a position to change the gun laws won't do shit. In a few months they will be indoctrinated into the cancerous cynicism that makes America great and realize there's nothing you can do to change anything.

But good job on the effort for what good it will ultimately do.

Huge respect for these brave and hardworking kids. It’s a damn shame they have to do this - it isn’t their job, it’s ours - but they sure are doing it well. If there is a silver lining to these tragedies, it is the large numbers of young people developing a voice, learning how to effect change, and becoming leaders. I do not doubt that they will continue to lead, in many arenas, for the rest of their
Lives, and that we will be better society for it. My own daughter is an organizer in her school as well - she is younger and the communinutu is much smaller so it isn’t on anywhere near this scales. I am so proud of her and of all these young people.

PS anyone else noticed that the vast majority of these young activists are girls? Hmmmm.

Ya think high schoolers have never met a cynic or a whatabouter before?

and this is "brave" why?

6

Come on!
Don't piss on the little heroe's parade!!
The Left loves these showy meaningless feel-good displays that make them feel morally superior to everyone else.

@7 Kids are fucking dying at school and this is your contribution to the discussion? The reason these students have to do this is because all the generations before them didn’t care enough common sense to change laws that the vast majority of the country supports. This is a preventable problem and we need a variety of tactics, including youth protest, to solve it. Good on these students for stepping in where adults have failed them.

Excellent article, Sydney. It’s important to listen to youth voices and I’m glad you’re holding up the microphone for them.

1- Mass Shootings at school doesn't rank on the list of the top 25 causes of death for school age children.

2- The "solutions" hysterics are squealing for will not reduce the threat.

Go back and try again.

“The rest of the country will have to get used to it. The students are in the drivers’ seats”. I would love these “walkout kids” to see the frontlines of Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan for just one day and tell me (and kids living there) about their personal tragedies.

I really hope this ends up being more than “guess what I spent the summer doing, and I got a scholarship out of Evergreen State for it!” Because clearly the adults are all bat-shit crazy. Kids like these are our only hope.

@ 10: Yes, things in certain Middle Eastern shit holes are a lot worse than here, but does that mean these kids should just shut the fuck up and thank Uncle Trump for providing? Idiots like you always trot your bike and hate out and tell kids “Bad? You don’t know bad!” like it’s and adult argument. The reality is you are a douche bag, and the sooner these kids take power, the better off society will be.

Teens are not in control of, or about gun control. The Legislature is. It’s a good photo op. But that’s all it is. There will be a dog and pony show with teens testifying in Olympia. News clips etc. but in the end, nothing will change.

This is awesome. Fills my heart and gives me hope to see youth engaging and getting involved with important issues. Keep it going!

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