WEST ORANGE, NJ — Hundreds of students stood up against gun violence in a rally held at West Orange High School on April 20. The rally coincided with the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings and thousands of rallies nationwide.
Students spent weeks planning the rally, which included short speeches, music, poetry, marching and the unveiling of a piece of artwork created by senior Desiree Rivera to commemorate the occasion. ELA teacher Jen Dahl served as adviser for the group. Student organizers were Sophia Torres, Daniella Rodriguez, Robert Meaux, Neil Dijuiste, Justin Voltaire, Alexandra Fiore, Desiree Rivera, Erin Arnold, Marc Younker, Lilian Umetiti, Bijan Terani, Mike Petros, Selam Wolda and Marie Amoyaw.
WOHS Principal Hayden Moore opened the rally, which followed on the heels of an emotional memorial ceremony on March 14, one month after the shootings in Parkland, Fla. Sophomore Olivia Ridley recited an original poem, “Lockdown,” noting, “Fire is not fought with fire. You can’t tell me guns are not part of the problem.”
Rivera designed a piece of artwork to be installed in the art wing at the high school. Titled “Policy and Change,” it includes the names of every victim in every shooting from Columbine to Marjory Stoneman-Douglas High School. Songs performed by senior Tyreek Voltaire, junior Gabby Florendo and the choir punctuated the event.
The rallying cry of “this is what democracy looks like” was not only a call to take a stand and make students’ voices known against school shootings. Stating that “this is a public safety issue,” students spoke about inner city gun violence and that although blacks comprise 14 percent of the population, they are eight times more likely to die from gun violence. Another concern was that of suicide. Of the 93 suicides per day in America, 58 are gun-induced.
Student Council President Marc Younker rallied against black people being killed by police, quoting Snopes.com, saying, “a total of 1,388 people were killed by police in 2015, 318, or 23 percent, of them black, and 560, or 40 percent, of them white. So roughly 23 percent of those killed by any police interaction in 2015 were black and just over 40 percent were white. According to those statistics — adjusted for racial demographics — black people had a 2.7 times higher likelihood of being killed by police than whites.”
Voter registration drives have begun at the high school for students turning 18 prior to the June primaries and November elections. Senior Erin Arnold told students: “No more. Channel your energies into the midterm elections. If our representatives have failed to pass legislation, they don’t represent us. We have to vote them out.”
Assemblyman John McKeon, former West Orange mayor and WOHS Class of 1986 alumnus, made a special appearance to support the students. McKeon quoted disturbing statistics, saying that although America comprises only 4 percent of the world’s populations, Americans own 42 percent of guns worldwide.
“That’s too many guns,” McKeon said. “The Second Amendment was never meant to arm ourselves with weapons of war.”
While New Jersey has some of the strictest gun laws in America, the legislature wants to do better, according to McKeon. Laws are being crafted that would allow family members to report mentally disturbed family members with guns; limit ammo to 10 bullets in a clip; require background checks for guns purchased at gun shows; and create red flag laws that would allow mental health professionals to report disturbed persons to law enforcement.
McKeon concluded by making reference to comments made by Robert Kennedy to the young people of South Africa struggling with apartheid in 1966: “Each time a man stands up for an ideal‚ or acts to improve the lot of others‚ or strikes out against injustice‚ he sends forth a ripple of hope. And crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
Photos Courtesy of WOSD
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