On social media, advocates were urging for students to:
WALK UP to the kid who sits ALONE and ask them to join your group.
WALK UP to the kid who never has a voluntary partner and offer to be theirs.
WALK UP to your teachers and thank them.
WALK UP to someone and just be nice.
While I do agree, to an extent that some good can come from being nicer to your fellow students and staff and not be a bully or disrespectful.
However, not every school shooter or mass shooter is a result of bullying. Adam Lanza, the shooter of Sandy Hook Elementary School, was on the Autism spectrum and his mother allowed guns in his house and him to have access.
Some of these other shooters have underlying mental illnesses.
So, yes, advocate for less bullying and disrespect BUT lets ALSO focus on mental illness and access to guns/gun control.
Nikolas Cruz, the Florida school shooter NOT ONLY had almost 18 calls to the FBI on him, because people were concerned for his posts and him "wanting to be a professional school shooter." He was able to walk into a gun store and EASILY buy an AR-15 EASIER THAN A HAND GUN.
WHY?
For all the 2nd amendment advocates and gun owners, NO I am not advocating to take your guns. I AM advocating to have people who have mental illnesses or are the subject of a restraining order or a convicted felon, should not have access to a gun of any kind. We should have nationwide comprehensive background checks.
I do support those that are protesting by walking out. I grew up and went to school in the "Post Columbine generation." We had lockdown drills preparing for an active school shooter/threat. In fact, on several occasions we were actually locked down because of bomb threats. That was just high school. When I went to college, we were locked down multiple times and heard gunfire often, and never could tell if it was on campus or not. A few students were even robbed at gunpoint. We need to lock our campuses down, especially the k-12th grade schools. Make sure no one can get into the building with ANY sort of weapon FOR ANY REASON (law enforcement and security personal aside). NO STUDENT SHOULD EVER GO TO SCHOOL AND BE AFRAID THAT THEY WON'T GO HOME AND NO PARENT SHOULD EVER FEAR THEIR CHILD(REN) WON'T COME HOME FROM SCHOOL.
What would you do if it was your kid? Would you want them safe and not afraid to go to school?
