From the horrors of the Parkland, Fla., massacre one promising thing has emerged...
- Student activism. The energy and effort put in by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to make schools safer has been inspiring. Their voices have been heard loud and clear. That activism has spread to all over the country, including the Red River Valley. Part of the motivation is fear. Many students are frightened that a school shooting could happen here.
"I'm extremely nervous about it," said Fargo South High student Eve Hanson. "In every classroom I look for the door and windows, wonder if there's a closet I could hide in, or what we could use as a barricade."
"I am scared this could happen," said Moorhead High student Jennie Hastings. "I worry about it. In every classroom I wonder what I could do, where I could hide, and how to help others. I have a plan for every room I'm in."
Students here refuse to agree that mass shootings have to be accepted as reality. They demand change. They don't want to take away anyone's hunting weapons or guns for self-defense, but they see no reason we can't have better mental health screenings, tightened background checks, and a ban on rapid-fire weapons.
"I haven't lived in a world where there haven't been school shootings," said Moorhead High Student Luke Seidel. "It's something we need to stop."
"It's heartbreaking," said Fargo Davies High student Bryce Tillman. "It makes me angry that this is allowed to continue."
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Eve, Jennie, Luke and Bryce have the determination and grit to try to make a difference. Jennie and Luke led the Moorhead High walkout (actually more of a memorial for the Parkland victims and an assembly), while Eve and Bryce will march in Fargo in the "March for our Lives." After that, they admirably plan to keep fighting for as long as it takes.
"It's ridiculous that AR-15s are legal for students like me to buy," Eve said. "It's a murder weapon."
"We have to remember those who died," said Jennie. "This can happen again, and this must stop."
"The faster we instigate change, the less we're going to see these atrocities happen," Luke said.
"I pledge to be an active voice, to march, and say this needs to stop," Bryce said.
Eve, Jennie, Luke and Bryce know they have a tough fight ahead. The NRA is powerful, intimidating and attached to the hip of many in Congress. They saw how the hope for change fizzled after the carnage at Sandy Hook. However, they know most Americans agree with their desire for sensible gun control. This time, the millions of students like Eve, Jennie, Luke and Bryce are not going away.
- If you don't like this column, you have my thoughts and prayers.
Shaw is a former WDAY TV reporter and former KVRR TV new director. He can be heard Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., on WDAY AM radio. Email jimshawtv@gmail.com
