Gun violence continues to plague this nation's schools. We, as an impacted population, should be allowed to protest against laws, or lack thereof, that harm us. Many other schools have created plans to orchestrate this event safely and efficiently. There is no reason why Clearview cannot do the same. One of the goals of education should be to foster active citizenship in its students and to stifle this effort instead of encouraging it is counter-intuitive.

Twenty-nine gun massacres in the first 45 days of this year. Enough is enough. We must demand laws that impose serious gun restrictions. No more loopholes. No more gun lobby. No more BS.

The mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Valentine’s Day last week was the eighth school shooting of 2018 – the eighth! – which is more than one school shooting per week. The numbers are staggering. Since Columbine in 1998, more than 150,000 primary and secondary school students have experienced a school shooting. When our schools are no longer safe, how can Congress continue to do nothing but wring its hands over America’s gun violence problem? It’s unconscionable. Florida school shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez, a senior in high school, got to the heart of the issue in no time flat. In a powerful speech at a gun safety rally in Ft. Lauderdale, which left us in tears, Emma railed, “To every politician who is taking donations from the NRA, shame on you!” Emma is right: The influence of the National Rifle Association (NRA) is driving our government’s massive failure to even attempt to reduce gun violence. Politicians who continue to accept campaign contributions from the NRA and gun industry PACs implicitly support an all-types-of-guns-everywhere-for-everyone agenda, which points in only one direction: more gun violence. Something is happening. When Emma Gonzalez spoke, she projected the pain and sense of betrayal shared by her entire generation over the fact that adults have not delivered on our most sacred charge: to keep them safe. Now Emma and young people across the country are calling BS on adult excuses for failing to achieve any progress on gun safety. They are rising up to fight for their own safety and future. As adults, our job now is to help our children succeed where we have failed. We join our children in calling BS. There can be no more excuses for failing to protect them from gun violence. That’s why we’re taking their lead and telling members of Congress to pledge to reject donations from the NRA and the corporate PACs of gun manufacturers.

As students of Rocky Mountain High School (Fort Collins, Co.), it is our unalienable right to stay safe as U.S. citizens. By passively allowing citizens to obtain guns through less than adequate background checks and lenient mental health screenings, the U.S. government in impeding on our rights by allowing our safety to be risked every day at school. In order to maintain a representative democracy, the intention of our founding fathers, you need to hear the cries of U.S. citizens across the nation and create a country that is not willing to protect gun rights over human lives.

Anita Britt is a member of the South Florida community and serves on the Board of Trustees of St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens. She is an alumna of Penn State University. She joined the American Outdoor Brands board on February 6, 2018, just eight days before the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School. Ms. Britt, we know this is not what you signed up for! As members of these communities, and the greater public, we urge you to end your association with a company that profits from making and selling the AR-15 style rifles used in numerous school shootings and mass shootings across America!

I haven't been personally affected, but we never know if we could be next. That is what is scary about this whole thing.

We are NC parents, educators, and concerned citizens who are against arming teachers as a solution to gun violence in schools. Our NC teachers need adequate resources to help them educate and nurture students, not guns that turn their roles into that of armed guards. This is an unacceptable proposal that places children at further risk, and therefore we call on our legislature to reject any proposal to arm teachers.

The recent mass shooting and murders at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas high school will not be tolerated by the students of this country. We demand an end to this violence and insist of measures to prevent future tragedy through changing some of the laws regarding guns, improving campus security, and increasing mental health screening and treatment.

In less than a year there has been 18 school shootings. It has to STOP! We don't want the number to rise or be in fear when we go to school.

Gun control is debated on so many levels - ask the American people their opinions without the interference of state and local governments. Gun control crosses party lines, age, demographics, locations - and the people of the country need to make their beliefs heard -- ask the same questions on each ballot regarding automatic/semi-automatic weapons, mental health criteria, violent/ criminal behavior and individual rights on each state ballot - tally the results and then Congress needs to act based on the majority vote!

I am affected because I am a citizen of these United States, as is most everyone here...and even if one is not a citizen, we all have a right to feel as safe as possible in our communities, beginning with our schools, malls, music venues, theaters and, for that matter, sidewalks, wherever we live. Human death by guns is at an all-time high...in numbers of deaths and incidents. I believe a roll call of all states be made regarding what, if any, laws are on the books regulating gun sales. We can't start in the Middle of this Problem...we Must Begin at the Beginning. I urge everyone to consider signing this petition to become a TEAM FOR CHANGE.

This will be a peaceful protest, and will hopefully emphasize the importance of safety in schools. Something needs to be done. We cannot keep going on this way.