WALKOUT PROPOSAL
Hi everyone,
I’m Selia Potas and I’m here to encourage you all to participate in the School Walkout that will be happening.
(Feel free to tell me your thoughts and ideas by filling out this super short and quick survey on the home page)
Walkout Information: On Tuesday, March 14th @10am there is a national school-wide walkout around the perimeter of the high school beginning and ending at the bus loop for 17 minutes as a tribute to the 17 individuals who died in the shooting at Douglas High in Parkland, Florida.
Why: Walking out shows our utmost support to those who’ve suffered due to school shootings, but this walk also symbolizes what a school looks like without kids. When we leave, we honor those who don’t get to come back to the school. Our temporary absence from the school symbolizes the permanent absence of students who have died in school shootings. This shows the importance of ending gun violence within a school. Lastly, this walk is intended to be respectful and peaceful.
Here’s what I think…
The Second Amendment allows Americans the privilege to bear arms, stating “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” However, this previously functional piece of legislation has since transformed into ammunition against the very society it once protected.
The day after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, I remember being surrounded by a sea of horrified students, all silent and confused by how easy it was for someone to kill innocent children with weapons typically known for protecting people. Until I learned about the Sandy Hook tragedy, a school was a place I never thought of as being unsafe. When did schools cease to be safe havens? It was confusing how a place filled with such supportive and caring people could possibly now be a place where children had to worry about their lives. The problem with this is that now I’ve come to the realization that school shootings have become so common, that we’ve sadly grown accustomed to it.
According to Everytown, there have been roughly 300 school shootings since Sandy Hook. On average, there is one school shooting per week. The second largest school massacre since Sandy Hook was the recent attack in Florida on February 14th, 2018. 17 individuals were shot and killed at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. However, in the US alone, there have been eight mass school shootings since the beginning of 2018.
Our school recently underwent an evacuation due to a round of ammunition being found within the school. And although everyone was safe, it gave the student body a taste of true panic. Again, I had to witness many people who I love in fear, which is something I hope to never see again. I cannot even begin to imagine the emotions running through the students’ heads in Parkland. No one deserves to experience the immense pain, fear, and trauma like those who have suffered from school shootings.
All it takes is one person with a gun to create mass hysteria and destruction within a school. This is happening too often. However, we cannot accept any environment where young, innocent lives are being lost. Further action must be taken by our government to bring forward the necessary reform and security needed. However, as Parkland shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez said, “If all our government can do is send their thoughts and prayers, then it’s time for the victims to be the change we need to see.” I believe it is our generation who can make that change. In order to be successful, we have to be the change we wish to see in our nation. In the midst of it all, we cannot be silent if we want to change the future of our country.
This walkout also isn't intended to take away individual's second amendment rights, but instead, I'm trying to affect change to how those rights are exercised in a changed world. To clarify, this walkout unifies all of us to show how we will not accept silence when it comes to our very own safety. So, instead of more inexcusable shootings—more preventable fear—let us all peacefully march to show that we want to change our laws. We are the future of this country and a future, where school shootings are the norm, is not one we want to live in. If you feel strongly about improving the safety of students by creating more protective gun regulations, please consider participating and spreading this message alongside me. Let’s take a stand together and make our voices heard. Thank you.
-Selia Potas, Hopkinton High School Student
Works Cited
Beckett, Lois. “How Many US School Shootings Have There Been in 2018 so Far?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 Feb. 2018,
Cox, John Woodrow, and Steven Rich. “Analysis | No, There Haven't Been 18 School Shootings in 2018. That Number Is Flat Wrong.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 15 Feb. 2018,
“Florida School Shooting: Suspect, Death Toll – What to Know.” Time, Time