By: Henry Lee
On March 14th, students around the nation banded together to voice their dissent regarding school shootings, specifically the Parkland shooting in Florida. The student’s voices were not left unheard here in Saratoga Springs.
The demonstration at our local high school involved a variety of speakers as the 17 minutes passed, each representing a life taken during the Parkland shooting. The event was intentionally meant to be non-political according to organizers, instead, intending to show respect to the victims, raising awareness for those who were affected by the devastating incident, and partaking in a national demonstration calling out for a change to government legislation.
The speakers called for change, stating that they do not currently feel safe in schools presently, and even going as far to state that they fear for their younger siblings in the elementary schools. Many of the students who walked out agreed, and thought that peaceful demonstrations would be necessary if change is to be incited. But some students don’t think that this is the right way to enact change, a number of students, inside and out, believed that demonstrations at this magnitude would not cause change.
Most students shared the belief that change should be enacted by the government, but the divide found between those who went outside and those who stayed inside was the thought that political change would not occur because of this event.
Students who disagreed stated that if the event was truly meant for nothing but respecting victims, that they believed that they could respect victims privately just as much as the demonstrators could publicly.
Though it is too early to state that the demonstrations have been successful in inciting change in legislation, it would not be inaccurate to say that the demonstration has succeeded in inciting conversation amongst those who it would most affect, students.
Photos by Lightning Rod staff photographer Ben McDonough
