Category Archives: Schools

Vallejo’s Jesse Bethel High School: students hold indoors walkout for gun control

Repost from the Vallejo Times-Herald

Area students join thousands nationwide in walkout for gun control

By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen, Vallejo Times-Herald, 03/14/18
Madison Buster, center, holds a sign to protest gun violence on Wednesday as Jesse Bethel High School students joined others from across the nation in a Walk Out to remember the 17 victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
Madison Buster, center, holds a sign to protest gun violence on Wednesday as Jesse Bethel High School students joined others from across the nation in a Walk Out to remember the 17 victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. CHRIS RILEY — TIMES-HERALD

“18th Century laws won’t protect 21st Century Americans!”

That was just one of several points made by students who took the small stage in the center of Vallejo’s Jesse Bethel High School on Wednesday, joining a national walkout, organized one month after a gunman took the lives 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

School administrators estimated that up to 1,200 of the school’s 1,550 students filed out of their classrooms at 10 a.m. for the event, planned to last 17 minutes — one for each of those killed at Parkland — as suggested by the surviving Parkland students. They joined thousands of students nationwide who walked out of class to protest gun violence and urge lawmakers to strengthen gun control laws.

The Bethel students assembled peacefully — some, including at least one school employee, with homemade signs bearing messages like, “Arm me with books, not guns,” Never Again,” “ No more silence, end gun violence,” and “Let’s make a change — this is our time.”

One senior, Oliver Saunders, 17, said for him, Wednesday’s event is about demanding gun control.

“Gun control is needed,” he said, citing the number of school shooting incidents in the last year. “Never again, and we call B.S.”

Ren Simbol, a 16-year-old junior, said it was about making a stand on principle.

“I feel like I’m part of a historic event,” Simbol said.

Some shared umbrellas as protection from the intermittent drizzle, while others had hoods up and still others simply braved Vallejo’s damp, chilly Wednesday morning weather.

Trinity Love, a 17-year-old Bethel junior, said she was out in the elements because there have been enough school shootings.

“It’s quite terrifying that someone would harm another person just to make a point,” she said.

With students holding signs bearing the names and ages of those killed in Parkland, several students spoke their thoughts into a microphone set up under a canopy in Bethel’s quad.

Some spoke of living in fear of gun violence in school and demanding the government take action. Others spoke of the loss of innocent lives. But at least a couple reminded listeners that many believe the Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the “right to bear arms” for good reason.

“But we want improved mental health screening and better background checks,” in any case, said one.

“I feel there needs to be awareness of gun violence; that this is important and forward-looking,” said Carol McCrory, 18, a senior who said she’s going into the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation. “I hope this creates national, if not global awareness.”

Bethel principal Linda Kingston said she was fine with the event, so long as it was student-driven. Bethel’s event was primarily organized by the school’s Law Academy students, she said.

Another, related informational event was planned for the lunch break, as well, she said.

“There’s a lot of good energy,” Kingston said. “We support the kids in what they have to do. They wanted to stand in solidarity with those in the nation saying it’s time to make a change.”

Organizing and participating in an event like Wednesday’s peaceful and respectful walk-out will help the students develop a sense of power, she said. But, there will also come some hard lessons in the speed with which change is made in the real world, she said.

“It’s pretty powerful in understanding how their world works, and how they’d like the world to work,” she said. “It’s pretty powerful to know you have a voice. I think they’re full of optimism that they can apply pressure.”

School administrator Patty Crespo described Wednesday’s event as “phenomenal.”

“The students organized all of this,” she said. “They’ll be running the city, the country, the world, some day. They can be the catalyst for amazing change in Vallejo.”

A similar walkout was organized at nearby Benicia High School. A track meet later in the day between Benicia and Vallejo high schools was also related to the national theme but had to be cancelled due to wet weather. Athletes were expected to wear orange ribbons and a moment of silence was scheduled.

Vallejo High and American Canyon schools held similar walkouts at their campuses on Wednesday.

Benicia High School Students stage on-campus walkout for Gun Safety

March 14, 2018
Students rally on the Quad in remembrance of those killed in Parkland FL

Prevented by Benicia School policy from leaving campus to memorialize and voice their opinions, Benicia’s high school students assembled in the outdoor Quad at 10am today.  Several student leaders spoke through loudspeakers from a balcony.

Benicia Herald reporter George Johnston was allowed on campus, and shot this 13-minute video, posted on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/GeorgesJohnston/status/973968318255194112

Rep. Mike Thompson: Preventing Gun Violence

Repost of a Thompson email newsletter
[Editor: Note that at a recent meeting with Benicia Indivisible for Justice, Thompson refused to support the banning of automatic assault weapons.  See info about Thompson’s Mar. 3 Town Hall on Gun Violence.  See also Thompson’s webpage on Gun Violence Prevention.  UPDATE: See how Thompson’s views have changed:  He now says that “military grade automatic and semi-automatic assault weapons “do not belong in the hands of citizens.” – R.S.]

February 26, 2018

Dear Friend,

The last two weeks have been tragic as we grapple with the deaths of 17 students and teachers in Parkland. We have also been uplifted and inspired by the young people who push to prevent gun violence. It is another reminder that the majority of Americans want Congress to come to the table and take action.

There are solutions. This year, I introduced a bill that would create a Select Committee to study gun violence so we have recommendations on the best policy map forward. Yet Republican leaders won’t give it a vote. I also introduced bipartisan legislation  that will improve and expand our background check system by closing loopholes, an idea that again, a majority of Americans support. No vote was held on this bill. And throughout my career, I’ve worked to help improve our mental health system, repeal the Dickey Amendment and allow the Centers for Disease Control to study gun violence. These are simple and commonsense proposals, yet Republican leaders have refused to act.

Please know that my fight to keep our children and communities safe will not stop. Thank you to the many in our district and across our nation who have spoken up and spoken out. Your voices are heard and I am fighting to take action to prevent gun violence.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Mike Thompson
Member of Congress