In light of the current news, I thought it is important to address the idea of peaceful protest. The tragic shooting at Parkland has left students across the country ready to stand up and say that they want change. This isn’t just coming from the students at Parkland, but students all over the country. Students are reaching out to their government officials to demand change on gun laws. The outcry from these students is a great example of peaceful protest. They are using their voice and platform to stand up for what they believe in. Regardless of what side of the issue you stand on, I am struggling most to understand the backlash against the students voicing their opinions. The only reasonable explanation for this backlash is because it goes against others opinions, or that “children are too young to understand.” I don’t feel at age 18 that these students can’t comprehend what has happened. Especially since they are the ones experiencing it firsthand. Therefore, we shouldn’t be discouraging them from speaking up about something that affects them so greatly.
As an example of the backlash, there was news about a Texas school saying any students that protested in any form about the recent school shooting would be suspended. This isn’t the only instance where protest has been disproved of. Something that I think a lot of people fail to remember is that a large part of the foundation of this country is our ability to question our government. The argument is that you are disrespecting the highest office or the legislature. However, voicing opinion on legislation that the people want passed is a foundation of our constitution and shouldn’t be viewed as disrespect but rather as involvement. The Constitution upholds “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievance.” Any citizen is allowed to peacefully disagree with our government. Especially in a time like this, these kids should be allowed to demand change. Plus, we should never discourage the next generation from participating. These students are more willing to pay attention to politics, which is important in a democracy. We want people to be involved and to hear the people’s voices and opinions. The point of democracy is a government for the people by the people, so why is there so much anger when the people speak?
I don’t want to argue a side of the gun debate within this article, but I feel it is necessary to commend people who stand up for what they believe in. Participating in government, voting, voicing your opinion is the reason democracy works. If these kids want change, let them say so. A school shouldn’t discourage students from speaking up, as students should be educated on current events and the way their government works anyway. Although I do have strong opinions on the recent shooting, I mostly want people to realize that peaceful protest shouldn’t be condemned. It should inspire hope that the younger generations are willing to speak out and make a change in this world. The choices now will affect their futures and our futures more than anyone else. I encourage peaceful protest, and I will support those marching on Washington in March.
Hopefully anyone reading this article will feel compelled to be involved and stand up for what they believe in within our government. Also, I want to use this as a reminder that you can always help those affected by the shooting. You can donate money, call your government official to ask for change, or any other way you want to reach out. Be involved as much as these students are with the current events in our world. Our country can only get better with people’s education and involvement