THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
FOR "MID-MORNING."
WE HAVE ESME MURPHY AND MATT
BRICKMAN JOINING US ON THE
PANEL TODAY.
AS YOU JUST SAW, STUDENTS ON
THE EAST COAST ARE WALKING OUT
OF CLASSROOMS TO PROTEST GUN
VIOLENCE.
THIS COMES A MONTH AFTER A
TEENAGER KILLED 17 STUDENTS AND
STAFF MEMBERS AT MARJORY
STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL IN
PARKLAND, FLORIDA.
MANY STUDENTS IN MINNESOTA WILL
BE WALKING OUT OF THEIR
BUILDINGS AT 10:00, OUR TIME.
THEY'LL PROTEST GUN VIOLENCE IN
SCHOOLS ADVOCATING FOR STRICTER
GUN CONTROL LAWS.
THEY WANT A BAN ON ASSAULT-
STYLE WEAPONS.
THE WALKOUT, LIKE ON THE EAST
COAST, IS SCHEDULED TO LAST 17
MINUTES.
EACH INDIVIDUAL MINUTE IS TO
HONOR ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO
DIED LAST MONTH IN PARKLAND,
FLORIDA.
IN ST. PAUL THREE STUDENT
JUSTICE LEADERS HELPED ORGANIZE
TODAY'S WALKOUT.
A LOT OF KIDS ARE WORRIED
ABOUT THEIR SAFETY WHEN THEY
COME TO SCHOOL.
IT SHOULD NOT BE LIKE THAT.
YOU SHOULD FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL.
STUDENTS ARE NERVOUS.
I CAN TELL THEY ARE HAVING A
HARD TIME ANALYZING IT AND
KNOWING WHAT THEY SHOULD FEEL
AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.
THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE.
OTHER SCHOOLS IN THE TWIN
CITIES ARE PLANNING INDOOR
RALLIES LIKE WASHINGTON
TECHNOLOGY IN ST. PAUL.
STUDENTS PLAN ON FORMING A
HUMAN CHAIN HOLDING HANDS IN A
CIRCLE AROUND THE SCHOOL
BUILDING.
THOUSANDS ARE EXPECTED TO
PARTICIPATE IN THIS SCHOOL
WALKOUT, NOT EVERY SCHOOL IS
SUPPORTING THIS MOVEMENT.
SOME SCHOOLS CITED SAFETY
CONCERNS AND THE ISSUES OF
UNEXCUSED ABSENCES AS REASONS
FOR NOT SANCTIONING
PARTICIPATION.
THERE IS NOW RESEARCH SHOWING
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CAN BE GOOD
FOR YOUNG ADULTS.
THAT INCLUDES HIGHER LEVELS OF
EDUCATION AND HIGHER INCOME.
THAT'S WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT
9:12.
THE IDEA THAT TEENAGERS WHO
TAKE PART IN ACTIVISM ON
VARIOUS FORMS GO ON TO HIGHER
LEVEL OF EDUCATION THAN
TEENAGERS WHO DON'T.
IT IS EXCITING FOR PARENTS.
I HAVE TWO TEENAGERS, FOR
THOSE OF YOU OUT THERE IN MY
CATEGORY.
I CAN SAY, I THINK THIS GAUGE
GROUP THEY ARE SO FOCUSED
INWARD ON THEMSELVES.
TO THINK OF ISSUES OUTSIDE OF
THEMSELVES IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I DON'T KNOW IF MY KIDS WILL
WALK OUT.
THEY TALKED ABOUT IT.
I LEFT IT UP TO THEM.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT TONIGHT.
WE'LL SEE WHETHER THEY DID
IT OR NOT LATER ON.
THE IDEA IS IF YOU GET ENGAGED
IN CIVIC CAUSES IT GETS YOU
PLUGGED INTO NETWORKS AND HELP
USE FIGURE OUT YOUR OWN
BELIEFS.
I LOOK BACK TO MY YOUNGER YEARS
AND THINK, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE
LOOKING OUTWARD WOULD HAVE BEEN
GOOD.
EXPOSE YOURSELF TO DIFFERENT
TYPES OF PEOPLE AND VIEWPOINTS.
THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN
LEARN INSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.
THERE IS A LOT OF LIFE
EXPERIENCE TO BE GAINED BY
DOING THINGS AND EVEN CHOOSING
NOT TO
TAKE PART.
IT IS VALUABLE TO DECIDE WHAT
YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT.
THEY LOOKED AT VOLUNTEERING,
ACTIVISM AND VOTING AND THE
IMPACT IT HAD ON MENTAL HEALTH.
WHILE KIDS WHO WERE FOCUSED
MORE ON VOLUNTEERING AND
VOTING, THEIR MENTAL HEALTH WAS
VOTED FAVORABLY.
IT WAS A RISK WHEN YOU LOOKED
AT THE ACTIVISM SIDE.
THERE IS SOME THOUGHT THAT
-- AND ANYONE CAN GET THEIR
ARMS AROUND THIS IF YOU HAVE
DONE IT -- IT IS FRUSTRATED.
YOU ARE SO 100% IN.
YOU PROBABLY SEE THIS WITH THE
TEENAGE YEARS.
THIS IS A SPECIAL MOMENT FOR
TEENS.
THEY ARE SEEING OTHER TEENS ON
THE NATIONAL STAGE.
IT IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT IS
VERY SPECIAL.
TEENS, EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT
ACTIVELY WALKING OUT, THEY ARE
LOOKING AT THIS AND PAYING
ATTENTION.
MY KIDS OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS AT AGE
12 AND 10.
I'M NOT SURE I WOULD BE
COMFORTABLE WITH THEM WALKING
OUT OF SCHOOL AT THIS YOUNG
AGE.
WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF