By Shereen Siewert
WAUSAU — School officials in Wausau say they are preparing to “proactively respond” should students choose to participate Wednesday in a national school walkout movement.
The walkout is a nationwide response to the Feb. 14 shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. that left 17 people dead and 17 others injured. Since the shooting, survivors and their allies have turned their grief into activism and advocacy. Part of that effort is Wednesday’s national school walkout, which is expected to take place at 10 a.m. and last for 17 minutes.
Students and teachers across the United States will walk out of their schools and universities on Wednesday, March 14 to honor the lives of the victims while pressing lawmakers to pass stricter gun control laws, according to EMPOWER, the group organizing the action.
In Wausau, walkouts are expected specifically at Horace Mann Middle School and Wausau West High School, according to EMPOWER. Rhinelander High School and Abbotsford High School are also on the group’s list.
Participants want Congress to ban assault-style weapons, require universal background checks before gun sales, and pass a gun violence restraining order law that would allow courts to disarm people who display warning signs of violent behavior.
In an email sent to parents and staff members, Wausau School District officials say they are prepared if students choose to participate by leaving the classroom for another room in the school or leaving the school building for a short period of time while remaining on school grounds.
Students who fail to return to class or leave school grounds may face consequences, according to the email. Staff members present during the walkout will be there to supervise and ensure student safety, but are not specifically endorsing the walkout, officials said.
“Please know that teaching and learning will continue and all students will be supervised,” the email read. “The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority.”
Photo credit: Hellogiggles.com
Are these the same little high minded miscreants who are busy taking the Tide Pod challenge. Get back in the classroom you little dopes.
Way to go young people! Engaging the political system on issues you care about shows your sense of community and your responsibility to it. That is a great thing. I hope your voices are heard and respected by decision makers.
Oh Dino…..SO expected from you. “Engaging the political system” is walking out/skipping school and carrying some signs made by the local democrat office? Would you encourage these minors to be truant from school to “have their voices heard” regarding the complete lack of accountability by law enforcement down in Florida that IGNORED multiple warnings, calls and over 35 visits to the shooters house? Nah. It’s those evil, black guns. The ones that fire “full semi-auto” and have pistol grips, right?
Has NOTHING to do with the complete social breakdown that we’ve been witnessing for the last 20+ yrs, does it? Don’t know how old you are, but when I was in HS, doors were NEVER locked, there were guns hanging in gun racks in trucks parked in the student lot. There were more guns around and visible than now…….by far. Guess what? NO school mass shootings. Yet, it’s the guns that are the problem?
Lastly, we’re talking about juveniles here. You honestly want me to “listen” to the voices of people who aren’t of legal age to vote, drive or even buy a freaking lottery ticket? We don’t need any more CLUELESS voices than there already are in society. What exactly are they going to “advocate”, Dino? Ban guns? You truly believe that by banning the type of gun that’s been in civilian hands since the late 70’s/early 80’s is going to stop shootings at gun free zones that mentally deranged people know damn well are nothing but free target areas?
Do you realize that handguns are used in 98+% of homicides?
I’m sure you’ll be joining those truant juveniles and leading the kumbaya sing along. Gag.
Call1911, just so we are clear, you response should be pointed at the kids, not me. What I did was support there engaging in the political process in this country. I did not make any mention of what they are commenting on.
But, to address the first bit, ““Engaging the political system” is walking out/skipping school and carrying some signs made by the local democrat office? ” Is misguided in a few way. Fist off, yes, dissent in any and all forms is engaging in the political system, walking out of school for a day to voice a common grievance is engagement. Two, do you have any evidence that the signs were or will be made by the local democrat office? I mean, that is a fun little slur, but lazy at best and a lie at worst.
In regards to the other stuff, I will say this, I am personally, a two time victim of gun violence. I think countries like Norway or Sweden have something I could dig.
Guns are part of the world, and we should do what we can to make sure they are safely used and sold and licensed.
Dino, my response certainly WAS directed to you. After all, wasn’t it you who posted in the first place? Supporting “political process” is fine ‘n dandy, but when you promote truancy by juveniles is another, very different thing. Yes, that’s EXACTLY what you’re condoning. In regards to evidence that signs will be made by a local democrat office, no. I have no direct evidence, but use your melon and some critical thinking. You tell me which political party is behind this absolute nonsense. You can call my comment whatever you want, but no matter how you slice it, the little pimple poppers wouldn’t be skipping school if it wasn’t for the complete support of the democrat party and media, period.
If Norway and Sweden are so hip, I suggest you start stuffing your piggy bank so you can invest in a one way ticket to your little slice of nirvana.
Yes, guns certainly are part of the world and have been for centuries. I challenge you to go to a local gun store and try to purchase a firearm. You’d quickly see what a law abiding citizen has to go through in order to buy one. They’ve been safely used, sold and licensed for decades. What has changed is liberals turning our schools and most other public attended places in to free range shooting grounds, while law abiding citizens are forced to give up their Constitutional right to defend themselves if threatened by some nutcase.
Sorry if that all reeks of common sense to you.
No, it really does not reek of common sense to me. None of your response does actually.
Rhetorically, if you had stayed with my promoting truancy, that would be a cool discussion to have. It really would be interesting to have a discussion about the time and place for the appropriateness for speaking out, versus the idea of being in school as a need.
But, you didn’t. You wanted to make it about the media, and a political party, and all the other stuff folks use to muddy the waters in an effort to either stop the message from getting through (whatever the message is). If you can make it about the political party, or the media, then you do not have to hear what young people have to say about the given topic. You minimize them, and strategically elevate the targets you want to attack.
This is fine. It is the tactic of the American right beginning in earnest with Grover Norquist and his generation of leaders. But, to some how say that it is common sense, and not a tactic put together by the media and communications leaders on the right in this country is a mistake. The media on the right has a strategy as well, and it is not some noble thing that happens organically.
But, you should want their voices heard. The same way you want your voice heard. Because it is not so much the message, but the act of speaking out that makes this country great. Sure, we get to be divided from time to time, but the fact is that we are united in the idea of speaking out. At least I hope we are. But, you are right, there are people in positions of leadership and self interest on both side of the political spectrum who have used the media successfully to fool us into a sense that all we believe is all that matters. That only our ideas are the right ideas.
But, that is wrong of us to think that. As much as you want to blame the liberal media, the liberals want to blame the conservative media.
Oh you make me laugh. SO typical. You call my response(s) basically nonsense, but go on and type a 6 paragraph response, yet say absofreakinglutely nothing but the usual liberal blabber talking points.
Seriously dude, check out the flight costs to Norway and Sweden. I’m sure you’d be much happier (they probably have a plethora of dog parks there) and safer, because there’s no guns. Win-win!
Call1911, I am being respectful. I responded to what you posted substantively. You took the time to respond to me, the social contract would require I give you the respect of responding to your points. Which I did.
I did not say your post was nonsense, I said it was not common sense. These are different things.
You really should google the gun ownership laws in Sweden and Norway. They are not what you think. Your choice to not engage what I wrote on any substantive level limits our discussion.
Further, if you had read my post, you would see that I agreed with you on several points about the media.
Dino, why in the flying **** should I google gun laws in freaking Norway and Sweden? Seriously? THAT is what it would take for you and I to have a substantive discussion? Oi-vey…. Last time I checked, we both live in the United States and to be as blunt as I can here, I couldn’t give a rats behind about their gun laws. You seem to have a man crush on those two countries. I sincerely suggest you pick one and purchase that one-way ticket. Common sense tells me that gun laws here in the U.S. are what’s important.
To be honest, I’m done with *trying* to have a discussion with you. YOU Dino are the one who refuses to see the forest for the trees. Have YOU bought a gun here in WI. and gone through the background check and waiting period? Do YOU realize that EVERY one of these mass shootings occur in gun free zones? Do YOU realize that handguns kill more people every day, week, month and year than a freaking AR15? Do YOU realize what political party (and their partners, the media) are behind all of this sheer stupidity?
Bah……with all due respect, I really don’t care what you think. You’re going to believe what you want to believe in spite of common sense and reality.
Good day.
Dino, I have started a gofundme account for your trip to Sweden. I will let you know when we hit the magic number. Perhaps we will raise enough money so you can take some of those liberal brained miscreants who walked out of school today with you.