I write to applaud the students (and administration) of Northampton High School for their heartfelt and powerful protest on the front steps of the school on March 14, National School Walkout day.
The protest was peaceful and informative, and it portrayed a sense of unity and a message for a call to action. The speakers were passionate about ending gun violence and eloquent with their speeches. Seventeen students spoke a sentence summarizing the lives of those lost in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
I have a 17-year-old daughter at Northampton High School. Our children should not have to worry about coming home at the end of the day. When is this going to stop?
The 1996 Port Arthur massacre (35 killed) in Australia resulted in legislation that saw a dramatic decline in gun crimes and it only took a few months to pass this legislation. Yes, America has more people than Australia. Yes, we have more guns than people in our country, as well as the right to bear arms, but these legislative changes show a country can band together to successfully deal with gun violence.
Let’s join the teenagers of our country. We are stronger together. We can attend marches, call our legislators, write letters and do whatever it takes for stricter gun laws. I believe change can happen. Our kids believe.
We should be very proud of the children of our country. Let’s join them and help protect them, as well as to honor all the lives lost to gun violence in our schools.
Jill Turati
Hatfield