KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
In the wake of last week’s mass school shooting in Florida, students across the Santa Clarita Valley staged protests alongside teenagers from schools across the country, advocating for stricter gun control laws.
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Dean Douglas, a student activist who organized the event at Golden Valley, said the students would “not stand idly by.”
“I stepped up to organize this because I saw on Twitter that Florida was doing a protest similar to this,” said Douglas, “I realized that the Hart District should be doing more in the sense of protesting, getting students involved. We need to be aware and fight for our right to be safe and feel safe on campus.”
Similar protests were staged throughout the high schools in the Santa Clarita Valley.
“We want students to attend school and then promptly WALK-OUT,” National School Walkout, an advocacy group, tweeted out two days after the shooting. “Sit outside your schools and peacefully protest. Make some noise. Voice your thoughts. ‘We are students, we are victims, we are change.’”
Jessica Peregrina was one of the student protesters who took up that call at Golden Valley. She said she joined the walkout to stand up and make a statement about gun violence at schools.
“I knew that there was a protest going on, initially led by Dean, and I just knew that I wanted to be a part it,” said Peregrina. “I’m terrified of being at this school sometimes … with all these shootings that are happening, I don’t know where I stand in the future.”
Activist students ended the protest with a moment of silence, in recognition of the 17 victims recently killed in Parkland, Florida.
The protests are amid a school shooting in South Florida. Suspect Nikolas Cruz confessed to killing nearly 20 adults and children.
“This has been a day where we’ve seen the worst of humanity,” said Robert Runcie, Broward County Public Schools Superintendent. “Tomorrow is gonna bring out the best in humanity as we come together to move forward from this unspeakable tragedy,”
Hart district representatives did not release the number of students who walked out as part of the protest, but a KHTS reporter at the school saw dozens protesting.
Ed. Note: Some information was provided to KHTS by CNN. KHTS is an affiliate of CNN.
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- Golden Valley high Student protesters
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- Dean Douglas student activist
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- Golden Valley high Student protesters
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- Golden Valley High School Walkout, protest, gun violence, school shootings, student protest, student rally
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- Golden Valley high Student protesters
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- Golden Valley high Student protesters
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- Golden Valley high Student protesters
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- Golden Valley high Student protesters
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- Golden Valley high Student protesters
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- Golden Valley high Student protesters
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Something needs to be done at Arorro Seco. More security with what is going on there.
If we have to pay for increased security because of guns we need to tax them accordingly. Just like ciggerets tax guns to reflect the cost on society or inact commen Sense gun control.
I’m very proud of our students standing up for needed legislation. They are the future of our country and if our current elected representatives don’t recognize that, I don’t think they will be in office for very long.
I agree with you. If our REPS can’t do this, then we should not vote for them again.
Lynda and David, I agree. There’s stuff to discuss at the core at the local, state, and federal levels, but overall, yes. When people are dying due to the result of a combination of archaic legislation and poor enforcement, it’s time for a change. Fight on, brave kids.
We have metal detectors in airports, jewelry stores, and theme parks, but not in our schools? Armed guards and teachers (who are willing), along with metal detectors need to be a priority for our schools. I still can’t believe our most precious of all are left at schools daily, defenseless in “gun free zones”. Parents, do yourselves and your kids a favor – HOMESCHOOL!
Absolutely need to protect our kids. Taking the guns away will not do it criminals will always get guns. Defend our schools with guards and guns!! We have to fight fire with fire!!
Nothing but an excuse to not go to class. As if these brain dead liberal sheep will make a difference. It’s not about gun control it’s about mental health and individual responsibility. Let’s face it, the FBI fucked up and the leaders should resign.
Agree. These kids leaving school to protest should be given some kind of punishment. They can protest on the weekend not when we are paying taxes for their schooling. They are being brainwashed.
Stephen and Rose,
These kids protested during their own lunchtime, so rest easy now. It’s brain dead people like yourself, Stephen, who think masses cannot make a difference, that is the problem. Change happens when the masses protest. Look at history, read, it’s all there about how changes have happened. In fact, America was literally built on protest or have you never heard of The Boston Tea Party? The youth is tired of greedy capitalists caring more about money than lives.
What these children really need to learn is that ‘protesting’ is not the answer to this most divisive issue. What exactly are they protesting? Are they protesting because they want to have more protection in their schools (which would require weapons screening each morning and/or armed teachers/administrators/security personnel) or are they protesting because they think that guns should be eliminated altogether? All I see in the photo above is ‘Arms are for hugging’, which lend me to believe that these naive kids haven’t a clue what the implications would be if people’s protection (aka: guns) were removed from their possession. Do they REALLY understand? Do ALL adults even understand, that disarming citizens may create far more problems in our future? (think Hitler/Germany, Mao/China, Stalin/Soviet Union). Did these kids forget that we, as a nation, have a Constitutional right to bare arms’? Instead of skipping class to protest, it may be more productive to beef up on our Nation’s history a bit. Protesting something based on one side of the argument does not encourage them to see the ‘big picture’. Instead of encouraging kids to skip class to protest something they have little knowledge about, perhaps it would be a teaching moment for teachers and parents to bring to light BOTH sides of this argument.
OMG.. THANK YOU CEEBEE! Exactly my thoughts!!! Gun free zone… = a welcome mat for crazies to come in. Arm teachers/ hire retired veterans to protect our kids!
First of all, the students did not skip class. The protest occurred during their lunchtime. Second, how many years ago was the Constitution written? Times were much different back then and most people used guns for hunting and home protection because they did not have door locks or alarm systems. Now, we have the convenience of grocery stores and most people do not hunt for their food using guns. If you look at the statistics of how often guns have saved lives, exp. during a burglary where a homeowner was threatened and killed the suspect with his/her gun, vs. how often guns have killed innocent people then you would see that having a gun kills far more innocent lives than it saves the innocent. I would like to know when ANY person needs an assault rifle anyway? Barring the military. Our kids deserve to feel safe going to school and I applaud these kids for speaking out against school shootings and gun violence. You asked if these “naive kids” know the implications for NOT having the right to gun “protection”…well here is a link of statistics of United States against countries with gun control and the death rates…obviously you are the naive one here if you think guns protect people more often than the kill innocent victims! Educate Yourself. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-gun-policy-global-comparisons
Ceebee, I agree – protesting is not the entire answer to this complicated issue.
That said, protesting is an essential component of the answer because it draws public attention to a problem – gun violence in America as a result of our legislation AND our current culture.
That said, the other cogs in the legislative/enforcement/culture-changing wheel have to work in conjunction with these kids as well. That means us as family members, friends, voters, and more.
Again, thank you Kathy. There are worlds of things to discuss. Doing them in online comments only allows for so much.
LibertyLovnMama, homeschooling will do NOTHING to protect our children from this broken world. School is just a portion of their life. They are still out there in public, activities outside of school, at community events, sports, parties etc.
Figures this originates from a Golden Valley Highschool student…. There’s somethging in the water over there
I’m sure your from Hart, West Ranch or Canyon. Golden Valley is an excellent school and this is not the majority of the students at Golden Valley.
This is really sad that these kids are actually wanting a socialist United States. We don’t need more gun laws. We need to enforce the laws we have but even after that nothing will stop a criminal from getting a gun and commit mass shootings. I think everyone needs to take their cell phone and smash it too much social media is destroying our youth. Having a phone in your hand 24/7 is ridiculous.
I highly commend these young people for organizing and using their voices to stand for their rights and express their concern. Horrific mass murders should never be normalized, schools should be havens, and I applaud each of these teens for taking action.
Peaceful protests are an incremental block of our democracy. They foster awareness, involvement, and community. Making noise attracts publicity, publicity attracts officials, and officials under pressure make change. This is hope in action.
Thank you to these students for being that hope, and honoring the victims and their families in such a profound way. They have my support.
The sad thing about all this is what the children are being influenced by in the media, school districts across the country and from celebrities. They have been told this for years, why would we expect anything different than this response? High School students are being used as pawns by mainly the left leaning political view. The time has come for conceal and carry for approved security guards on high school campuses. This is the real answer in a world where evil exists, we must deal with the reality and not live in a pie in the sky type of world of gun control.