>>> THE TRAGIC MURDER OF 17 PEOPLE AT A SCHOOL IN PARKLAND
FLORIDA HAS INSPIRED MANY STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE.
LOCALLY THERE ARE WALKOUTS, PROTESTS AND OTHER EVENTS
PLANNED, AND I SPOKE WITH THREE STUDENTS EARLIER TODAY ABOUT
THEIR EFFORTS, JULIA ALBRO FISHER AND HALLE PASKIN OF JFK
MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND BEN MOSS-HORWITZ OF NORTHAMPTON HIGH
SCHOOL.
MOSS-HORWITZ SAID DEMANDING ACTION TO PREVENT FURTHER GUN
VIOLENCE WILL BE THE DEFINING MOMENT OF HIS GENERATION.
. >> I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE
DEMOCRATS CLUB AT MY SCHOOL SINCE THE 2016 ELECTION, AND IN
THE PAST YOUR THINGS HAVE BEEN HEATING UP WITH YOUTH ACTIVISM.
WE HAVE DEVELOPED A COALITION OF LIKE SIX JUSTICE GROUPS AT OUR
SCHOOL, AND WHAT HAD HAPPENED, WE HAD JUST BEEN WORKING ON THIS
TOWN HALL WITH JIM McGOVERN THAT HAPPENED THREE WEEKS AGO, SO
WHEN IT HAPPENED AND WE SAW ALL THIS ENERGY ABOUT YOUTH ACTIVISM
AND OUR GENERATION BEING THE ONE TO CHANGE THE WORLD, WE KNEW
THIS WAS THE WORK WE HAVE BEEN DOING ALREADY, SO I MESSAGED THE
GROUP CHAT AND IT EMERGED INTO A GUN CONTROL RESPONSE TEAM.
>> YOU ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO ORGANIZE AROUND THE MARCH 14TH
WALKOUT, AND I NOTICED ON LINE THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF ACTIONS
ORGANIZED IN THE DAYS AFTER THE PARKLAND SHOOTING AND YOU TWO
WERE AMONG THE FIRST.
HOW DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO GET INVOLVED WITH THIS, JULIA?
>> I WAS AT THE WOMEN'S MARCH ON WASHINGTON THE FIRST ONE AFTER
THE ELECTION, AND SINCE THEN I AM BECOME MUCH MORE INVOLVED
WITH POLITICS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN OUR
COUNTRY.
AND HALLE AND I ACTUALLY DID NOT MEET UNTIL YESTERDAY, BUT WE
BOTH HAVE BEEN ACTIVE ON INSTAGRAM AND WE STARTED TALKING
AND DECIDED THAT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT AND WE SIGNED UP.
>> AND SO YOU HAVE BEEN USING SOCIAL MEDIA PRIOR TO MEETING IN
PERSON YESTERDAY?
>> YEAH.
>> SO FOR YOU, HALLE, WHAT'S YOUR GOAL FOR THIS EVENT ON
MARCH 14TH?
IT'S GOING TO BE 17 MINUTES AT 10:00 A.M. AND HAPPENING ACROSS
THE NATION, AND A VARIETY OF PEOPLE INVOLVED.
YOU ARE WORKING AT THE NORTHAMPTON MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WHAT'S THE GOAL FOR THE EVENT?
>> I KNOW A BUNCH OF PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE EVENT THAT
HAPPENED, SO I FEEL LIKE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO GET OUT AND
PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED SO THEY CAN CHANGE IT.
>> NOW, BEN, WITH THE MARCH 24TH EVENT THAT YOU ARE INVOLVED
WITH, MARCH FOR OUR LIVES, NOT ONLY HAPPENING AT THE HIGH
SCHOOL LEVEL, A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ARE
INVOLVED AS WELL, CAN YOU NAME A FEW AND WHAT'S THE GOAL FOR
THAT?
>> YEAH.
I WILL TRY NOT TO MISS ANY, BUT A BUNCH OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT
HAVE REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB.
THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED WITH THE MARCH FOR OUR LIVES IN
NORTHAMPTON, THEY WERE THINKING ABOUT THE NEED TO PROTECT THERE
BE KIDS, THE PARENTS, BUT THIS WHOLE NETWORK RALLIED AROUND
THEM, SO JUST TO NAME A COUPLE, THE BAD ASS, IN DISVISIBLE, NO
HOPE, AND THESE GROUPS CAME TO US WITH THEIR EXPERIENCE FROM
THE WOMEN'S MARCH AND THEIR EXPERIENCE FROM ALL THE OTHER
MARCHES THAT HAVE BEEN HELD RECENTLY AND THEY CAME TO US,
THE HIGH SCHOOLERS, AND THEY SAID HOW CAN WE HELP YOU,
BECAUSE THE MARCH IN THE DESCRIPTION IS BY THE HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, BUT WE WANT TO
WORK WITH EVERYONE AND WE ARE HOPING TO MAKE IT LIKE REALLY A
COMMUNITY WIDE ISSUE THAT BRINGS THE ENERGY OF NORTHAMPTON ALL
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> FOR YOU AS STUDENTS WHAT'S IT BEEN LIKE HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL
AND SO MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT VIOLENCE THAT'S HAPPENED AT THE
NATIONAL LEVEL AS WE SAW IN FLORIDA, BUT YOU HAD TO GO BACK
TO SCHOOL IN RECENT DAYS.
>> IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE TEACHERS ALL HAVE DIFFERENT
APPROACHES AS TO WHETHER THEY WILL BRING UP THE SUBJECT OR
AVOID IT, AND SOME TEACHERS HAVE DISCUSSED IT AND THERE IS A
SENSE OF LIKE UNCOMFORTABLENESS AND PEOPLE DON'T EXACTLY FEEL
SAFE.
NORTHAMPTON, WE ALL THINK OF IT AS A VERY SAFE TOWN, BUT THEN
AGAIN SO DO ALL TOWNS FEEL THAT WAY UNTIL SOMETHING LIKE THIS
HAPPENS.
>> AND SO FOR YOU, HALLE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
IT ENOUGH, NOT ENOUGH?
>> I FEEL LIKE AT FIRST WE WERE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
ENOUGH, AND NOW I FEEL LIKE IT'S GETTING OUT THERE AND --
>> BEN, HOW ABOUT YOU FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, DO YOU FEEL
LIKE KIDS ARE SCARED TO GO TO SCHOOL?
>> NO, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT.
BECAUSE I WOULD SAY THEY ARE MORE AWARE OF IT, SO I READ THIS
MORNING THAT ON AN AVERAGE DAY SEVEN KIDS DIE IN THIS COUNTRY
FROM GUN VIOLENCE AND KIDS HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THAT.
WHAT HAPPENED IN FLORIDA IS THAT KIDS WHO MORE -- KIDS IN LIKE A
MORE WHITE SUBURBAN COMMUNITY, A PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITY, THAT
REMINDED PEOPLE OF NORTHAMPTON, KIND OF RESPONDED AND USED THE
MOMENTUM THAT THEY GAINED TO TRY TO LOBBY.
AND SO I THINK THERE IS REALLY A FEELING, THE SECOND I GOT BACK
TO SCHOOL, WAS LOOK AT THESE KIDS, THESE ARE CLASS
PRESIDENTS, THEATRE KIDS, THESE ARE SUBURBAN PROGRESSIVE KIDS.
WE HAVE TO HELP, TOO.
WE HAVE TO JOIN THIS MOVEMENT.
>> YOU MEAN THE KIDS IN FLORIDA.
>> YES.
WE HAVE TO JOIN THE FIGHT.
>> SO FOR YOU WHAT HAPPENS ON MARCH 14TH, THE 17-MINUTE
WALKOUT, AND THE 24TH OF MARCH WITH THE LARGER
MARCH THAT'S HAPPENING, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN AROUND
THOSE EVENTS?
>> WE DISCUSSED WITH OUR PRINCIPAL TODAY AND IT'S BEEN
GOING OUT TO THE STUDENTS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO BE JUST THESE
TWO EVENTS.
WE WANT IT TO BE A WHOLE MOVEMENT, AND WE WANT TO
INCORPORATE IT INTO LEARNING IN SCHOOLS.
WE WANT LAWS.
WE WANT GUN REFORM.
WE WANT A FULL CHANGE, NOT JUST ONE ACTION.
>> WHAT ABOUT FOR STUDENTS WHO CHOOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE?
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE LIKE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL WITH
THEM AFTER THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO TAKE THEIR OWN STANDS?
>> I THINK THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOUR RESPONSE IS, THE RESULT OF
SOME KIDS GETTING INVOLVED IS THAT IT BRINGS -- IT BRINGS THE
LEGISLATIVE PART OF SOCIETY AND THE HIGH SCHOOL CULTURE, BRINGS
THEM CLOSE TOGETHER.
WHATEVER SIDE YOU ARE ON, WHEN THOSE TWO COME TOGETHER AND
THERE IS A LOT OF ENERGY, I THINK CHANGE STARTS HAPPENING.
IT DOESN'T WORRY ME AT ALL.
>> SOME SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE CHOOSING TO TAKE
SOME FORM OF PUNISHMENT IF STUDENTS CHOOSE TO WALK OUT OR
TAKE ACTION IN THE MARCH, SUCH AS YOU ARE.
NORTHAMPTON IS NOT CHOOSING TO PUNISH ITS STUDENTS, BUT WHAT DO
YOU THINK ABOUT THAT DECISION TO PUNISH STUDENTS, HALLE?
>> I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO PUNISH STUDENTS FOR STANDING UP
FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN.
IF KIDS ARE DYING BECAUSE OF THE GUN LAWS, THEN I FEEL LIKE THEY
SHOULD TAKE A STAND.
>> HOW ABOUT YOU, JULIA?
>> I THINK IT'S WRONG, AND STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE PUNISHED
FOR TAKING THEIR STAND AND SAYING WHAT THEY BELIEVE, AND I
KNOW THAT LIKE THE EXCUSE HAS BEEN FOR PUNISHMENT IT'S TAKING
AWAY FROM THEIR LEARNING, AND THIS IS DOING THE OPPOSITE.
THIS IS BRINGING MORE TO OUR LEARNING AND EDUCATING US MORE
BY DISCUSSING THESE ISSUES.
>> BEN, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD QUICKLY?
>> I WOULD SAY IT JUST MAKES ME REALLY SAD, BUT AT THE SAME TIME
IT SORT OF FEELS LIKE, WELL, THAT'S WHAT OUR JOB IS.
OUR JOB IS TO BRING THESE ISSUES AND TO FORCE THESE PRINCIPALS TO
THINK ABOUT THESE DECISIONS BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN
NEVER AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKING INWARD
AND A LOT OF THESE DIALOGUES.