Should we accept schools walkouts that happen during school hours on any issue now. Why is it ok for gun control and not other issues like abortion? I want to start off this blog with the clear statement that this post is not about whether or not we should have more or less gun control. I would say with certainty our position on that has been clearly stated. If you’re not sure, see below. Also, I wish to state that I truly believe that per the 1st amendment everybody should be entitled to an opinion, even if a person disagrees or is “offended” by that position. If that opinion is reflective of your views and you’re willing to back up and explain your views, you’re free to state that opinion. If your sole goal is simply to incite violence, then we have something entirely different altogether to talk about. The intent is paramount on this. Bottom line, state your opinions but be prepared to back them up, preferably with facts.
So having declared that I wish to discuss the school walkout that happened the afternoon of March 14, 2018. Right off the bat, I want to state that those students that died deserve to be recognized and should have their voices heard. I will say it again, this is NOT about those students that died. For those that are not familiar, the walkout was organized by a group called EMPOWER. They are the youth chapter of Women’s March. You are probably like me, going who the heck is Women’s March. Well, on their website this is what they wrote in the about section:
The mission of Women’s March is to harness the political power of diverse Women and their communities to create transformative social change.
“Women’s March is a women-led movement providing intersectional education on a diverse range of issues and creating entry points for new grassroots activists & organizers to engage in their local communities through trainings, outreach programs and events. Women’s March is committed to dismantling systems of oppression through nonviolent resistance and building inclusive structures guided by self-determination, dignity and respect.”
I could do an entire blog post on “systems of oppression” but I digress: More so, on the website specifically regarding the walkout they wrote this:
“Our goal is to provide young people with the tools needed to create high school and college chapters that guide students in making a positive impact in their communities.”
Huh. So they’re organizing this walkout in order to show respect towards the students who lost their lives in the recent school shootings? Well yes….and no. Again, according to the Women’s March website, they list a set of demands that students should ask for by engaging in this walkout. Apparently, by going to school, students are now subject to “systems of oppression.”
What’s more is that most of the demands listed here (some are bills they oppose) are bills that are currently being presented to be voted on. So effectively, their end game is to push the government narrative of “more gun control” or to protest bills (such as HR 38 S446 which would allow someone to use their conceal carry in another state. God forbid someone should only want to protect themselves in their own state and any other states. However, I stated earlier this is not about gun control and I intend fully for it not to be.) This is about an organization using the government narrative of “more gun control” and using students to push that agenda.
If you don’t believe that this isn’t a government narrative of the left, consider the bills they are trying to suddenly pass and ask yourself, why this issue wasn’t so important a month ago. The simple truth is the government is a voice of the people and the people most of the time are reflective through what they see on the media. The media is always a snapshot in time and two months from now this issue while still existing won’t be as imperative as it is right now. The left knows this and so while they have some momentum they are pushing very hard on further gun control.
But wait, you’re saying that students shouldn’t have a voice. Absolutely they should refer earlier to my point about that. Everybody should have a voice but there is a time and place for that voice and telling kids to walk out in the middle of school, well that isn’t it. I’ll debate anybody who ever tells me that somebody isn’t entitled to an opinion or isn’t allowed to voice that opinion regardless of their age, color, sex, creed, whatever. Unless you eat Tide Pods. You eat Tide Pods, then seriously, you’ve given up your right to speak. About anything. Sorry, you’re hopeless. Hopefully, in a few years, you can reprove yourself. As a great example, I’ve seen students protest to get a longer lunch hour because they felt that 30 minutes just wasn’t long enough. They protested before school, after school, and even between classes and presented their reason through logical facts and the school board agreed with their findings. Students like any other can be heard.
Ok, that’s fair but surely the school, knowing full well that these students are walking out in the middle of class will put a stop to it right? Nope. Some schools are fully endorsing it and encouraging students to engage in it. I am not going to condemn all schools as one school district in New Jersey told students that by participating, it would be treated the same as skipping class. Thus, resulting in two-day suspensions. They were good to their word. Bravo for them. If students are allowed by the school district to walk out of school to support a policy of further gun control then where is the line drawn? Remember, they aren’t walking out to show 17 minutes of silence in reverence to those students. If students are pro-life can they now walk out in favor of the thousands of lives that are lost daily due to abortion? Please understand, I am NOT saying those students shouldn’t be respected but as with all things there is a time and place for it. Well ok, but since these students are walking out in favor of further gun control then surely other students can walk out in favor or existing or less gun control right? How about if they feel that this isn’t a gun issue but a people killing people issue, that would be ok then right? No, not according to the principal at New Prague High School in New Prague, Minnesota. He decided it would be a good idea to single out and remove the lone student holding up the sign that read “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Apparently, that student isn’t allowed to have that opinion at that time and place. Also by doing this that school has effectively adopted the position that we are going to endorse the governments narrative of “more gun control.”
Again, I will state I will not condemn all schools for this aspect of this walkout. In all fairness, most schools took a position of non-alignment just to make it simple and get it over with. They felt that going against it would do more harm and just draw more attention to the issue and away from teaching our kids. I can understand that. I really can.
However, let’s be honest with ourselves, if I were a betting man I’d bet that the majority of the kids didn’t walk out for stronger gun control or to show respect, they walked out because its 17 minutes they didn’t have to be in class and they could chat with their friends. This isn’t about showing respect to the students who died in previous school shootings, this is nothing more than a pretext to stronger gun control and what pisses me off the most is that many schools are endorsing that position. Let me say that again, many schools are endorsing that position. Fine, as a school you take any position you want but you sure the hell don’t push any political agenda on our kids. That’s not your job. I don’t pay my taxes so you can tell my kids WHAT to think. I pay my taxes so you can tell my kids HOW to think. Any issue, you show all sides of the issue and you let them decide for themselves. Your job is stay neutral. The minute you start pushing a government agenda on the kids, this is propaganda and we have become nothing but an Orwellian society. Welcome to 1984, my friends. All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall.
Jay