WHY WE’RE WALKING OUT

WALKOUT ON WEDNESDAY

Students across the nation, including many in Hamilton and surrounding counties, are participating in a walkout Wednesday that is part protest, part memorial to honor the lives of the 17 people killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and part a call to state and national lawmakers to support and pass stricter gun control laws.

One month after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Wednesday, we, the students of Chattanooga, will be walking out. We are walking out to honor the 17 students lost in the shooting and the families that have been torn apart. However, we recognize that we cannot do justice to these students and their families without addressing the underlying issues that Feb. 14 illuminated.

The Constitution enshrines the fundamental rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — the first of which is the right to life. The highest duty of our leaders is thus to ensure our safety. We are walking out because of the inaction of Congress and the Senate in passing measures to protect us. Gun violence is a complex issue with many underlying problems that must be addressed. We demand fair discussions from our lawmakers; we demand public statements on gun policy, not secrecy; and we demand meetings with lawmakers to express our concerns.

Many of us students have been told that we lack the maturity to engage with issues such as gun violence. However, education serves no higher purpose than creating informed, responsible citizens. It is not merely our right but our duty to make a statement through our actions.

Allen Liu