Sequoia Gregorich, Law and Ethics Editor
I was underwhelmed when it came to the district — and particularly the student — response to the walkout on March 14, which called for increased legislation regarding guns.
March 14 marked one month since the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. In the aftermath, many were outraged that the AR-15 rifle, which killed those 17 students and staff, had been purchased legally.
As a remedy, students, families and teachers have been fighting for improvement in gun legislation.
We, members of VHS students and staff, in an attempt of less than 100 people, joined in the nation-wide walkout on March 14.
Then on March 24, the March for Our Lives consisted of hundreds of thousands across the nation, including islanders who participated in the march either on-island or in Seattle.
This upcoming April 20 — the anniversary of the Columbine Massacre — marks the last movement in this trio of protests demanding action against gun violence.
I became frustrated as the elephant in the room remained for weeks leading up to the walkout, and as little organization took place among students. Few teachers so much as mentioned the nationwide movement which has the potential to so greatly affects our schools.
It is understood that teachers should not and legally cannot attempt to sway student opinions. However, respectful facilitation of conversation can be appropriate under such circumstances.
While this would have been a welcome step, the district administration decided to take a less supportive stance.
Once word got out of possible walkouts across the district, one response was released by the district leadership. The email, sent out by Superintendent Michael Soltman, discussed the expression of beliefs as an educational experience, but ended on this note:
“Although we support students’ First Amendment rights, we encourage students to remain in class: first because of safety; second because state law requires such absences to be unexcused.”
This statement “encouraging” students not to partake in the walkout was not only unnecessary, but unrepresentative of the full district’s stance. According to a source, Soltman was the sole decider in the message given to families, teachers and students.
In comparison, Seattle Public Schools (SPS), which educates a total of 53,876 students, released this statement:
“We have been moved by the tremendous courage and activism of students across our country and in Seattle. They no longer trust that adults will make the best school safety decisions. We must do all we can to prevent more lives from being lost to gun violence.”
SPS encouraged students to stay on campus during the walkout for student safety, and they clearly stated their anti-gun-violence stance and emphasized the importance of civic engagement.
I found it disheartening to see the absence of students walking out that morning. Particularly considering the many missing faces were of those who wished to go but simply chose not to because an unexcused absence meant missing out on their sport, school work, or other commitments.
While everybody has the right to prioritize as they see fit, and for some that absence may have been an unreasonable burden, it may be the case that by and large we have the privilege of disregarding the true meaning of civil disobedience.
Civil disobedience means that you are standing up for something that you believe in, either in spite of certain rules and laws, or by breaking rules and laws in order to draw attention to the subject. This typically comes with consequences, and the consequences are what lend civil disobedience its power.
The willingness of a group of people to take the backlash for their actions in the name of change proves the gravity and importance of the situation.
Since the rule at VHS is that you may not play in a game or at practice the day of an unexcused absence, many opted out. Some simply cared more about sports or maintaining a perfect school record than they did about the walkout.
For others it might have made the difference between a detention and an in-school suspension. Either way, it was a personal choice. However, in the future, I encourage students who can afford to obtain an unexcused absence to accept it and take pride in it.
If you need some ideas on how to get started, the Women’s March website has a section devoted to the #ENOUGHISENOUGH movement and even has a “toolbox” page that provides an outline for organizing activism.
The gun regulation movement has also gained momentum by demanding that government officials stop accepting funds from the NRA. I recommend giving these four Washington State representatives who accept money from the NRA a call: Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler: (202) 225-3536; Representative Dan Newhouse: (202) 225-5816; Representative Dave Reichert: (202) 225-7761; and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers: (202) 225-2006.
And if you’re 18 or over, Text P2P to RTVOTE (788683) to begin voting.
I hope to see you outside of your classrooms on April 20.
Fight on!