This week marks the first national test of teenage activism against gun violence. This is from the Ghidotti Early College High School newsletter:
“Hello Ghidotti Families,
A few folks have asked about a possible walkout tomorrow in concert with the events happening across the nation.
“As principal, I’m not in a position to endorse a political position. However, it is my responsibility to make sure our students are safe and heard. Yesterday I met with two student leaders and a representative from Sierra College to review plans for the walkout. I applaud these students’ civic engagement and support the right of all students to exercise their First Amendment rights.
“At 10 a.m. tomorrow, the students plan on leaving class, marching to the quad, and participating in a moment of silence. They’ll be returning to class at 10:17. I’ve asked the high school teachers to remain in their rooms so that students not wishing to participate may stay in class.
And I ask everyone to be respectful to those who may hold different views from your own.
Thanks and Go Phoenix!
Noah Levinson
Principal, Ghidotti Early College High School”
Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report 
I love seeing our youth getting so engaged on topics that matter.
Me too.
I watched it live streamed by the Union, it was all good, as expected. I know some parents that were objecting to their kids having to do the walk, thought somebody might drive by and yell at them about gun rights. I mentioned just keep your child home if it is a big deal.
I can’t imagine what that mom would think about the Catholic school system around Chicago in the 60s, and what they did to kids, just getting yelled at was an easy day.
I was in the Catholic school system in the 60’s but a little ways from Chicago. Those nuns could scare the face off anyone
A lot of the nuns in my school probably had no business being teachers, they had no training beyond high school. And they sure didn’t seem to even like kids, had no hesitation with smacking boys in the head or used a ruler across my back. I drove back to Illinois last September and there was a reunion for our grade school class, many of my old classmates, now 60, had their horror stories to tell, lots of funny one too. Most of them have nothing to do with the Catholic Church as adults.
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Steve, our grade school has a social media site and we experience the same thing.
“Since the 1970s, the U.S. has engaged unintentionally in an international experiment, relaxing gun laws as the rest of the world has tightened access. Gun advocates argued that more guns would make us safer, but instead the U.S. now has 25 times the gun murder rate of other advanced countries.
“Indeed, since 1970, more Americans have died of gun violence, including murders, suicides and accidents (1.4 million), than in all the wars in American history (1.3 million).
I loved the letter in the Union from Mia and am very happy she and others are involved regardless of the naysayers comments toward this wonderful girl. Trump said he would have gone into that Parkland school himself to “save the day”. Sure wish he would have 🙂