Parkland, Florida, schools have been threatening students with suspension if they participate in any behavior synonymous with political protests such as walk outs. 

This strikes me as not only ridiculous but also ironic. Should schools be able to hinder a student’s right to peacefully assemble, even though they have been taught that is their right as Americans? 

Of course, I understand the rules and regulations of most school districts that limit the amount of free speech and freedoms that students generaly have, but what good is suspending them going to do? These students are trying to make a point that they want change. 

They want to see gun regulations that make it harder to get guns, not take them away. They want regulations on automatic and semi-automatics guns to be stricter to make it more difficult for individuals to get them for malicious intent. 

Although school officials at the Needville Independent School District are “warning [students] that anyone who participates in a walkout or other political protests would be suspended for three days,” according to CNN, but what is that teaching the kids? Some may state its teaching them there are consequences for disobeying authority, but at the same time, the consequences of these students are insuperable compared to the deaths of 17 in Parkland, and many more across the state. 

Teaching students that by using their rights as Americans to assemble freely, they are capable of punishment, but in the same breath, the government and individuals aim to protect rights of gun-holding citizens due to the Second Amendment right to bear arms, is completely irrational. 

“A school is a place to learn and grow educationally, emotionally and morally. A disruption of the school will not be tolerated,” Superintendent Curtis Rhodes said, according to CNN. “Life is all about choices, and every choice has a consequence whether it be positive or negative. We will discipline no matter if it is one, 50, or 500 students involved. All will be suspended for 3 days and parent notes will not alleviate the discipline.”  

As Rhodes mentioned, a school is a place to learn and grow, but a school is also a place students should feel safe entering. So, while students are there to learn and grow as an individual, how are students supposed to grow and achieve goals while being terrified that, due to the accessibility of guns in the United States and the lack of mental health care and education that allows the actions of a students like the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. 

Protests are about change, not inherently to disrupt school processes, but as we can see based on activists of the past, nothing ever changes by sitting around and these students are attempting to prove it’s true in order to change the future of the U.S. 

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