For Lamar students, gun violence is now part of the routine
Preventable deaths will continue to happen until we value the lives of children more than firearms
Iam a 17-year-old student at Lamar High School, and I stick to a pretty consistent routine. I go to parties. I hang out with my friends. I worry about being shot in my own school.
As dramatic as that sounds, last week those worries were justified.
On Tuesday morning, I walked into my math class as I do every second day. About 15 minutes later, we were put on lockdown. For four hours, I sat on the ground in my classroom in the dark with no idea what was happening.
We had no announcements or information provided to us by the school. Instead, we refreshed our Twitter pages and checked Google every five minutes for updates. We finally found out what was happening when somebody outside set up a livestream. Two students had been shot, one fatally.
At 4 p.m, we were nonchalantly released from class and told to go directly home. School continued as normal the next day.
America shouldn’t treat this as normal.
These recent events are a perfect example of the state of our country. In less than a week, three of my fellow Lamar students died from gun violence, and our response is to get on with our day and just push through until the holidays.
One student claimed that “these things happen” and that “we have to just look past it and move on.” If this is our approach to such horrific events, this violence will never end.
Students, teachers and parents can’t sit around and mope, but we also can’t pretend that the events that happened aren’t a big deal. Yet here’s how the school responded: The day after the shooting, I saw one extra policeman on campus.
Complaining doesn’t necessarily solve anything, but flatout refusing to speak up and act will result in more deaths, especially in schools.
I’ve said it so many times; thoughts and prayers don’t make change. Disconcertingly though, it seems teenagers care more about school shootings and gun violence than the people who are actually running this country.
Children are dying. Not just adults — teenagers and kids. We go to school every day under the false pretense that we are safe. Any death is awful, but when you take into consideration the fact that these are minors — who lack money, power and political influence — it seems even more sinister. And the inaction of our elders is more irresponsible.
So we students have taken it upon ourselves to push for change.
Last year, we organized a walkout at Lamar. I went to every classroom in my school and made a presentation about gun violence. I emailed my principal and the administration about better lockdown procedures. I emailed and called news stations to talk about the need for action, and I heard no response.
It is like we are talking to brick walls. Calls for change are being met with blank stares.
We will never live in a crimefree community. I know this.
However, I want to know that I am safe at least walking to school. I want to know that my teachers are prepared for an emergency. I want to know that when I tell my dad “I love you” before I leave for school each morning, it is because I want to, not because I fear I won’t ever see him again.
Lamar is failing its students, but the country is failing all of us. Listen to the voices of young people. Look at the number of children dying annually. If this doesn’t inspire action, then nothing can.
Delindsey Mack died on Tuesday because of gun violence. A 15-year-old girl was grazed by bullets. Samuel Yeargain died because of guns. So did Pierce Schwartz. In less than a week, four students have been impacted forever because of guns.
Walkouts alone won’t change anything. School counseling won’t either. We need to get to the bottom of this and cut the bad parts at their roots.
We need gun control. We need better school safety. Most importantly, we need to place value and importance on children’s lives. They are dying daily because of a national inability and unwillingness to act.
Don’t protect your guns. Protect your children.