TODAY MARKS ONE MONTH SINCE THE MASS SHOOTING AT MARJORY
STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL.
AND MANY STUDENTS FROM OUR REGION SPENT 17 MINUTES OUTSIDE
OF THEIR SCHOOLS TODAY -- ONE MINUTE FOR EACH LIFE LOST AT
THAT FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL -- AND DEMANDED ACTION ON GUN LAWS.
EARLIER TODAY I FOLLOWED UP WITH THREE STUDENTS FROM THIS AREA
WHO WE ORIGINALLY SPOKE WITH IN THE WAKE OF THE SHOOTING.
>> I THINK OUR MAIN GOAL WAS SHOWING EACH OTHER THAT WE'VE
HAD ENOUGH AND THAT WE'RE ALL GOING TO WORK ON THIS TOGETHER.
IT'S NOT JUST AN IDEA.
WE ARE READY TO TAKE ACTION.
THIS WAS THE FIRST STEP OF MANY.
>> AND SO NOW YOU'RE WEARING BLACK TODAY, AS YOU EXPLAINED TO
ME, IN MOURNING FOR THE 17 LIVES THAT WERE LOST A MONTH AGO
TODAY.
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING THE ORANGE ARM BANDS FOR?
>> WE'RE WEARING ORANGE ARM BANDS, PARTLY JUST BECAUSE
ORANGE IS THE COLOR OF STONEMAN DOUGLAS, BUT PARTLY BECAUSE WHEN
WE WERE ORIGINALLY MAKING THESE EVENTS, AND WE -- ACTUALLY, NO,
IN THE REGION WE WERE HAVING THESE HUGE COMMUNAL MEETINGS
WITH 35, 40 PEOPLE AND ONE OF THE IDEAS THROWN OUT WERE THE
HISTORY AND TINKER BEAD ONE, WHICH IS --
>> WHEN KIDS WERE LOOKING AT AWARING ARM BANDS DURING THE
VIETNAM WAR.
>> YES.
SO I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF SPIRIT AS KIDS THINKING ABOUT
THIS MOVEMENT COMING OUT AS AN ABYSS AND NOTHING.
BUT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, OUR GRANDPARENTS MIGHT HAVE FOUGHT
IN WORLD WAR II, OUR PARENTS MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS
AND VIETNAM MOVEMENT AND WE GREW UP WITH THE OCCUPY WALL STREET
AND BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT.
SO WE'RE JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE SHOW WE'RE STANDING ON
THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS?
HOW CAN WE TAP INTO THAT ENERGY TO CONTINUE AND CARRY THE TORCH
IN WHATEVER DIRECTION WE COULD POSSIBLY THINK OF?
>> AS BEN POINTED OUT, THERE IS A LOT OF PASSION AND ENERGY
AROUND THIS BUT IT'S ALSO TIED TO A VERY SOBERING AND SOMBER
DAY.
I THINK YOU GIRLS SPOKE A LOT ABOUT THAT, RIGHT.
HALLE, HOW DID YOU WORK TO BALANCE THE FACT THAT SOMETHING
SAD HAPPENED.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT.
BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE ACTION AROUND THIS.
>> WELL, LIKE YOU SAID, WE ARE TRYING TO RESPECT WHAT HAPPENED
AND WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE ON.
SO WE STARTED WITH SOME CHANTS AT THE WALKOUT, AND THEN WE WENT
INTO A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
>> SO YOU ALSO, YOU COULD CHOOSE -- YOU SPOKE AS STUDENTS
ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING SILENT FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.
AND DID YOU DO THAT TODAY?
>> YES, HOLLY AND I WERE BOTH SILENT FROM AFTER THE WALKOUT
UNTIL 2:30 WHEN SCHOOL LET OUT TODAY.
>> WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU, DIFFERENT FROM HOW YOU SPENT
YOUR DAY?
>> DEFINITELY.
I THINK BEING IN HIGH SCHOOL EVERYTHING IS BASED ON
COMMUNICATION AND SORT OF TAKING THAT ASPECT AWAY, EVERY TIME WE
WOULD DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY, EVERY TIME WE WOULD HAVE TO
CHANGE THE WAY WE WERE DOING SOMETHING BECAUSE WE COULDN'T --
BECAUSE WE CHOSE NOT TO TALK, WE WERE REMINDED OF EVERYTHING WE
WERE DOING.
AND OTHER PEOPLE WERE TOO WHEN THEY SAW US AND SAW OUR STICKERS
SAYING WHY.
>> AND, BEN, FOR YOU AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, WHAT WAS I POINT THAT
WAS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO MAKE THIS MORNING AS YOU TOOK PART IN
THIS WALKOUT?
>> THE POINT THAT I END UP MAKING AND THIS WAS JUST TO THE
PART OF THE -- THE PART OF THE DEMONSTRATORS BEHIND THE
PLEADING WAS ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS I THOUGHT WE DID IS WE
READ ENT SENSES ABOUT EACH OF THE VICTIMS.
WE DIDN'T JUST READ THEIR NAME AND THEIR AGE.
WE READ SOMETHING HUMANIZING ABOUT THEM.
>> BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST HEARING NAMES AND FACES.
>> WE'RE HEARING NUMBERS AND IT'S MEANINGLESS AND IT'S KIND
OF -- IT DOESN'T APPEAL TO OUR GREATER SENSE OF HUMANITY.
SO I THINK THERE WAS A REALLY COOL MOMENT WAS WHEN -- WAS WHEN
WHILE WE WERE READING THESE SENTENCES BY KIDS, WHO, YOU KNOW
WERE BASKETBALL PLAYERS, WHO WERE ACADEMIC SCHOLARS, WHO
REALLY LIKE EATING CHICKEN NUGGETS WAS ONE KID, PEOPLE WHO
WERE JUST OVERALL AS ALL HUMANS SAY THEY ARE HUMAN.
SO I THINK THERE IS A MOMENT WHEN PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE
REALLY, REALLY REALIZE THAT AND REALLY FELT THAT AND THEN
SUDDENLY THE ENTIRE ENERGY TRANSFORMED AND SUDDENLY WE HIT
SOMETHING INSIDE OF PEOPLE WHERE WE APPEALED TO COMPASSION.
>> YES.
>> SO AS YOU KNOW, THESE PROTESTS TOOK PLACE IN NORTH
HAMPDEN BUT THEY HAPPENED ACROSS OUR REGION TODAY AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
WE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THIS ISN'T THE STUDENTS PLACE.
STUDENTS SHOULD BE IN SCHOOL STUDYING.
WHO WANTS TO SPEAK TO THAT FIRST?
>> I WILL SPEAK TO THAT.
I THINK IT IS COMPLETELY OUR PLACE BECAUSE IT AFFECTS US.
IT AFFECTS OUR DAILY LIVES.
IT AFFECTS HOW WE SPEND FIVE DAYS OF THE WEEK.
AND NOBODY HAS FIXED THIS FOR US.
THERE HAVE BEEN MOVEMENTS THAT HAVE TRIED TO FIX THIS BUT WHERE
NOTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED AS IT SHOULD.
AND WE HAVE TAKEN IT UPON OURSELVES TO WORK WITH THAT AND
DO IT FOR OURSELVES.
>> AS I TALKED ABOUT AND AS MANY PEOPLE ARE WELL AWARE, IT'S BEEN
A MONTH AND YOU ALL HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LEARNING IN THIS
PAST MONTH.
IS THERE ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED, HALLE, THAT REALLY
STANDS OUT FOR YOU AS YOU HAVE DONE YOUR RESEARCH?
>> I GUESS THAT CHANGE WON'T JUST HAPPEN ON ITS OWN.
SOMEONE HAS TO START IT NO MATTER IF IT'S STUDENTS,
TEAC TEACHERS, ADULTS, ANYBODY.
>> WHEN YOU WENT BACK TO SCHOOL TODAY, YOU WERE SILENT, BUT THE
RESPONSE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS HAD TO THE FACT, THE MAJORITY,
YOU HAD ALMOST 900 KIDS OUTSIDE TODAY?
>> WE PROBABLY HAD AROUND, WE MAY HAVE HAD 700, 800.
OUR SCHOOL ONLY HAS 850.
BUT THE QUESTION WAS HOW DID IT CHANGE.
I THINK THERE'S REALLY A SENSE OF UNITY.
AND A GREATER SENSE OF GRATITUDE IN THE COMMUNITY RIGHT AFTER.
SO AS WE WERE SENSING DURING THE DEMONSTRATION, I NOTICED WHILE
LOOKING OUT KIDS WERE HUGGING, KIDS WERE CLOSER.
PEOPLE SEEMED TO HAVE A REALITY CHECK, A LOOK IN THE MIRROR
WHERE WE ARE IN THE COUNTRY AND RISKS THAT YOU TAKE ON EVERY DAY
WHEN YOU GO TO SCHOOL.
>> AND SO FOR EACH OF YOU NOW MOVING FORWARD, I KNOW THAT
YOU'RE EACH TAKING PART IN THE MATCH FOR OUR LIVES LATER THIS
MONTH, MARCH 24TH.
IS THAT THE NEXT STEP FOR YOU, YOU'RE PLANNING ABOUT THAT,
THINKING ABOUT THAT.
WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE?
>> I THINK THAT IS OUR NEXT STEP, THAT IS WHAT OUR TIME WILL
BE DEVOTED TO.
I THINK LEADING UP TO IT, WE JUST WANT TO SORT OF, WE HAVE
THIS MOMENT AND I THINK WE WANT TO KEEP IF GOING.
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BASE CHALLENGES.
IT'S NOT JUST ONE EVENT.
WE WANT IT TO BE A CONVERSATION AND ACTION THAT KEEPS GOING.
SO HAVING THESE SOMEWHAT CLOSE TOGETHER IS I THINK GOING TO
REALLY HELP THAT.
>> AND SO WHERE DO YOU GO NOW?
>> WHERE DO WE GO NOW?
THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE'VE BEEN HAVING PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY.
THE CONCLUSION OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
OUR COMMUNITY NOTICES THIS, THAT IS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THESE
WALKOUTS AND THESE MARCHES ALL AROUND THE VALLEY, RIGHT, ALL OF
THESE KIDS HAVE GOTTEN IN CONTEXT, SO I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH
WITH LIKE 20 DIFFERENT KIDS FROM THE AREA.
>> THAT YOU NEVER MET BEFORE?
>> I HAD NEVER BEFORE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
KIDS FROM PITSFIELD, BELCHER DOWN, WHEREVER.
BUT THE POINT IS MOVING FORWARD, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO
FORM A COALITION AND WE WANT THIS COLLISION TO KEEP DOING THE
WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FOR THE MARCH FOR OUR LIVES.
AND THE COALITION NAME IS THE PIONEER VALLEY MARCH, THE
PIONEER VALLEY STUDENTS FOR GUN CONTROL.
AND IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE A FANCY NONPROFIT OR
ANYTHING.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A FORMAL BUT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP FIGHTING
AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP PROTESTING.
THE WORLD DOESN'T CHANGE WHEN STUDENTS ARE QUIET.
STUDENTS HAVE BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT OF LIKE EVERY MAJOR
MOVEMENT.
SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO TEACH US ABOUT THE VIETNAM MOVEMENT IN
SCHOOL AND YOU'RE GOING TO TEACH US ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT IN SCHOOL, THEN YOU CAN'T EXPECT US NOT TO
UNDERSTAND THE VAST AMOUNT OF POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY WE
HAVE.