Gun control https://www.morningsidecenter.org/ en Strategies for Addressing the Shooting in California https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/strategies-addressing-shooting-california <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Strategies for Addressing the Shooting in California</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A shooting on November 7 at a bar in California during an&nbsp;event for college students left at least 12 people dead, and added to widespread feelings of anxiety and sadness across the country.&nbsp;</p> <section> <p>At moments like this, it can be&nbsp;helpful to give young people a chance to share their feelings and thoughts about it. If the news is on students' minds, it's present in the classroom, whether we talk about it or not. When we create a safe, supportive space where students can discuss sensitive issues and events constructively, we can turn those events into teachable moments, and foster a stronger sense of community among our students in the process.<br> &nbsp;<br> Here are two resources that may&nbsp;help you discuss&nbsp;this event and other upsetting news with students and adults.<br> &nbsp;</p> <ul> <li><strong><a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/suggestions-discussing-violent-events-news">General guidelines</a></strong> for talking sensitively with students about acts of violence in the news<br> &nbsp;</li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/discussing-tragic-events-news">Questions&nbsp;and formats</a></strong> for structuring a conversation, including listening circles and microlabs&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> </section> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2018-11-08T15:19:55-05:00" title="Thursday, November 8, 2018 - 15:19">November 8, 2018</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Thu, 08 Nov 2018 20:19:55 +0000 Laura McClure 1251 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Teachers Strike, Amid Student Protests https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/teachers-strike-amid-student-protests <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Teachers Strike, Amid Student Protests</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h4>Gathering: Word Web</h4> <p><br> Write #ENOUGH or #NEVERAGAIN on the board or chart paper and circle it.&nbsp;</p> <p>Invite students to share their associations with the hashtag.&nbsp; If necessary, elicit that these hashtags are from the movement against gun violence and for gun control organized by young people from&nbsp;Florida and across the nation following the February 14, 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.</p> <p>Chart student associations radiating out from the center.&nbsp;Related ideas can be grouped.&nbsp;Draw lines from the associations to the core hashtag to create a web.&nbsp;</p> <p>Making word webs can stimulate creative thinking.&nbsp;Encourage associations while energy is high.&nbsp;Ask open-ended questions to stimulate students’ thoughts.&nbsp;As energy tapers off, ask students to read what’s on the web and ask some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>What do you notice about what’s on the web?</li> <li>What has the anti-gun activism been about?</li> <li>What has been President Trump’s response to the protests?</li> <li>What solutions to gun violence has he offered?&nbsp;</li> <li>How has he proposed to make schools safer?</li> <li>What are students’ thoughts and feelings about these solutions?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Agenda and Objectives</strong></p> <p><br> Explain that in today’s lesson students will be exploring the teacher strikes that have spread across states including West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>&nbsp;</h4> <h4>Teachers tweet: #armmewith</h4> <p><br> The hashtag #armmewith was created in response to President Trump’s idea of arming teachers to address gun violence.&nbsp; What do students know about this hashtag?&nbsp;</p> <p>Distribute the #armmewith handout included in <strong><a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Teachers%20Strike.pdf">this pdf,</a></strong> and have students look it over.</p> <p>In pairs, ask students to discuss their thoughts and feelings about what’s in the handout.</p> <p>Bringing students back to the large group, invite them to share what they discussed in their pairs.&nbsp; Continue the dialogue using some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>Which of these social media posts resonate most with you?&nbsp; Why?</li> <li>What are the similarities and differences between these posts?&nbsp; Do you see any themes?</li> <li>What are these teachers asking for?&nbsp;</li> <li>How does this relate to your own experience in school?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Teachers Strike</h4> <p><br> Ask students if they know why teachers in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Kentucky went on strike in the winter and spring of 2018. What are they fighting for?&nbsp;What are their demands?&nbsp;How are their demands related to the social media posts we just discussed?</p> <p>Provide students with art teacher Laurissa Kovacs’ tweet in <strong><a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Teachers%20Strike.pdf">this&nbsp;handout.</a></strong></p> <p>Explain that Kovacs is among the thousands of teachers in Oklahoma who went on strike.&nbsp;They have walked out of their classrooms and schools to march on the state Capitol where they are demanding more money for education and higher pay for teachers.</p> <p>Ask them, after reading the tweet, to discuss it using some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>What are your thoughts and feelings about Laurissa Kovacs’ tweet?</li> <li>What does the broken chair represent?</li> <li>What are her reasons for walking out?</li> <li>Who is she concerned about?&nbsp; What is she concerned about?</li> <li>How does that relate to our schools, our teachers, our students, the future of our country?</li> </ul> <p>If time allows, consider showing the following video:</p> <p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/07/us/mom-attorneys-oklahoma-trnd/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/07/us/mom-attorneys-oklahoma-trnd/index.html</a></p> <p>Discuss:</p> <ul> <li>How does this news clip relate to the tweets we discussed just now?</li> <li>What does it say about the support of teachers and the power of a quality education in this country?</li> <li>The generous donations Laurissa Kovacs received from around the country, as a result of her tweet, helped her, and the other teachers in her school and district, in ways they probably couldn’t have imagined a few weeks ago.&nbsp; Does Laurissa Kovacs think this is a long term solution for the broken chair education system she highlighted in her tweet?</li> <li>Does it matter whether&nbsp;books and other school items are received from&nbsp;individuals who feel motivated in the moment to contribute rather than from&nbsp;adequate and reliable public education funding?&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p><br> Invite students to read the handout “<a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Teachers%20Strike.pdf">Teachers Strike across West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arizona</a>”&nbsp;(also included below). Have them annotate the handout, highlighting what teachers’ reasons for protesting are and what some of their successes have been so far.&nbsp;Then discuss some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>How do you feel about the teacher protests in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arizona?</li> <li>Based on everything we’ve done today, how do you think the teachers are feeling about their jobs?&nbsp; About education in general? About the protests?</li> <li>What are some of the reasons teachers are protesting?</li> <li>What are some of the successes teachers have been able to secure?</li> <li>Does this mean that this is the end of the protests? Why?&nbsp; Why not?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>&nbsp;</h4> <h4>Closing</h4> <p>Invite students to share one thing they’d like to tell the striking teachers.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4><a name="_Hlk511215749">Teachers Strike across West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arizona</a></h4> <p><br> Public investment in K-12 schools — crucial for communities to thrive and the U.S. economy to offer broad opportunity — has declined dramatically in a number of states over the last decade.&nbsp; Worse, some of the deepest-cutting states have also cut income tax rates, weakening their main revenue source for supporting schools.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/a-punishing-decade-for-school-funding">https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/a-punishing-decade-for-school-funding</a></p> <p><br> The West Virginia teachers&nbsp;strike … may have ignited a national labor movement, as teachers in Kentucky, Arizona and Oklahoma are making their frustration over pay and benefits known and sharing demands with their state legislators. ….&nbsp; “Last week, Kentucky teachers came out in force to protest proposed cuts to their retirement benefits. And in Arizona and Oklahoma, two of the worst-paying states for teachers in the country, educators are demanding salary hikes.&nbsp; All three appear to be taking cues from West Virginia.”<br> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/west-virginia-teachers-strike-other-states-low-pay-could-also-n855606">https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/west-virginia-teachers-strike-other-states-low-pay-could-also-n855606</a></p> <p><br> Dignity and respect are the root cause of every serious labor struggle. This was certainly the case in West Virginia’s unprecedented nine-day statewide education strike. When the workers won …, singing and dancing erupted among the thousands who packed the state capitol.&nbsp; The strike produced a string of significant victories …. Perhaps most significantly, it restored the dignity of 34,000 workers, rebuilding the pride of West Virginia’s working class and reinforcing one hell of a union that will carry the struggle forward. <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/the-west-virginia-teachers-strike-shows-that-winning-big-requires-creating-a-crisis/">https://www.thenation.com/article/the-west-virginia-teachers-strike-shows-that-winning-big-requires-creating-a-crisis/</a></p> <p><br> Oklahoma teachers reached their breaking point after enduring no pay raises since 2008.&nbsp; State lawmakers tried to avert a strike by passing measures in the past week to raise teacher salaries by $6,100 annually and support staff salaries by $1,250 annually, as well as increase education funding by $50 million. But the increases were only a fraction of what the teachers wanted, so the strike moved forward. <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/striking-oklahoma-teachers-share-their-demands/">https://www.courthousenews.com/striking-oklahoma-teachers-share-their-demands/</a></p> <p><br> On Wednesday, the Oklahoma legislature&nbsp;passed a historic&nbsp;tax increase – the state’s first in 28 years – to give teachers their first salary boost in more than a decade. The $450 million tax hike required a three-quarters majority, a barrier that has typically been insurmountable in deeply conservative Oklahoma. “That’s something we never thought we’d see,” says Shawn Hime, executive director of the Oklahoma School Board Association. <a href="http://www.governing.com/week-in-finance/gov-teachers-winning-historic-tax-hikes.html">http://www.governing.com/week-in-finance/gov-teachers-winning-historic-tax-hikes.html</a></p> <p><br> Teachers in … [Kentucky] are furious about a surprise bill lawmakers passed&nbsp;last week&nbsp;that cuts pension benefits for new and retiring teachers. Hundreds of teachers&nbsp;walked out&nbsp;of class Friday in response, and about 5,000 rallied in the capital of Frankfurt Monday. <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/4/2/17188700/teacher-strikes-oklahoma-kentucky">https://www.vox.com/2018/4/2/17188700/teacher-strikes-oklahoma-kentucky</a></p> <p><br> Will Arizona teachers strike?&nbsp; That question has swirled for weeks as educators rally for higher wages and more school funding.&nbsp; Leaders of the grassroots Arizona Educators United unveiled a list of demands last week, and they’d wait to see how Gov. Doug Ducey and the legislature respond as budget negotiations advance. …. “Arizona Educators United is prepared to do whatever it takes to reach our demands, …. However, we will do everything in our power to avoid a strike.&nbsp; As educators, we’re willing to put kids first, even when the state won’t.”&nbsp; <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2018/04/05/what-take-arizona-teachers-strike-walk-out-redfored/491377002/">https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2018/04/05/what-take-arizona-teachers-strike-walk-out-redfored/491377002/</a></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2018-04-11T14:13:51-04:00" title="Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - 14:13">April 11, 2018</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Wed, 11 Apr 2018 18:13:51 +0000 Laura McClure 1179 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org South L.A. Student Speaks Out On Gun Violence https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/south-la-student-speaks-out-gun-violence <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>South L.A. Student Speaks Out On Gun Violence</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><div> <h4>Gathering / Opening Ceremony<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>Project the wordcloud below on the white board or print it out and distribute, or distribute the image on <a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Handout%20-%20South%20L.A.%20Student%20On%20Gun%20Violence.pdf">this handout</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>It is made up of hashtags connected to the fight against gun violence that has been spearheaded by students around the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <img alt="Wordcloud" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="41ac9414-7b81-41f1-97a5-3f37f51ee77d" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Wordcloud.jpg" class="align-center" width="682" height="475" loading="lazy"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Invite students to look at it in silence for a minute or so.&nbsp; As they take in the wordcloud, ask students to pick a hashtag that resonates with them.</p> <p>In a go-round (using a talking piece if that is your practice), invite students to share the hashtag they picked with the rest of the class and explain why. &nbsp;If you are doing this activity as a restorative circle, this opening ceremony could easily provide enough material to build the rest of the lesson on, as you send the talking piece around several more times to elicit “reflections, connections and additions” to what was shared in the first round.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><br> <strong>Background:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><br> The hashtags relate to the student movement that spread across the country after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killed 17 people on February 14, 2018. On March 24, 2018, students organized a massive March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. and around the country.</p> <p>Students have also planned a national school walkout on April 20, 2018, the 19-year anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. This shooting in Colorado was at that time the deadliest school attack in U.S. history, with 13 people killed.&nbsp; Since then even more deadly shootings occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.&nbsp; Students who are interested in participating in the April 20th events against gun violence can get more information at:&nbsp; <a href="https://www.nationalschoolwalkout.net/">https://www.nationalschoolwalkout.net/</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Check Agenda and Objectives</strong></p> <p><br> Explain that in today’s lesson we’ll be hearing from one of the speakers at the March for Our Lives in Washington, DC, on March 24, 2018.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Edna Chavez, Her Neighborhood</h4> <p><br> Ask students if they’ve ever heard the name Edna Chavez.&nbsp; Elicit and explain the following (or have students read this information in <a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Handout%20-%20South%20L.A.%20Student%20On%20Gun%20Violence.pdf">this pdf handout</a>.)</p> <p>Edna Chavez is a 17-year-old senior at Manual Arts High School in South Los Angeles.&nbsp; She is a youth leader who spoke at the March for Our Lives on March 24, 2018. She is Latina and a survivor of gun violence.&nbsp; Ask for a show of hands of students who have seen/heard her speak either in person or online.</p> <p>Ask what students know about the area Edna is from, called South Los Angeles. Elicit and explain that South Los Angeles (formerly known as South Central) is a region south of the 10 freeway in Los Angeles, that is comprised of 25 neighborhoods.&nbsp; The area gained national attention in 1965 and again in 1992 for the racial tensions that erupted into rebellion and violence at both times.&nbsp;</p> <p>In 1965, the Watts Rebellion, also known as the Watts riots, broke out in the predominantly black Watts neighborhood of South L.A.&nbsp; Racial tensions reached a breaking point after two white policemen pulled over a black motorist suspected of drunk driving.&nbsp; A crowd gathered to watch what they saw as yet another racially motivated arrest, in a neighborhood where profiling was the norm. After years of economic and political isolation, frustration and anger spilled over into the unrest and violence that, within five days, would spread to encompass a 50-mile area of South L.A.&nbsp;The violence left 34 dead, 1,032 injured, and close to 4,000 arrested and caused $40 million of property destruction.</p> <p>Twenty seven years later, in 1992, South L.A. still mostly poor, isolated and targeted disproportionately by police violence, erupted again after a jury acquitted three white and one Mexican-American police officers in the brutal beating of black motorist Rodney King. The beating, captured on amateur videotape, was the first of its kind to go viral in the pre-internet age.&nbsp; It sparked a national debate about police brutality and, at the intersection where King was beat up, ignited South Central’s racial tensions once more.</p> <p>Outrage fueled the fiery protests that spread to encompass 32 miles, from the Hollywood Hills to Long Beach. More than 10,000 national guard troops were brought in over the next five days.&nbsp; The violence that came to be known in the mainstream as the LA riots, resulted in more than 50 deaths, around 10,000 arrests, and more than $1 billion in property damage.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Edna Chavez's Speech</h4> <p><br> Explain that you’ll be showing Edna Chavez March for Our Lives speech next. Invite students to take notes as they listen to Edna’s experience, and what she says about her community of South Los Angeles.&nbsp;</p> <p>If you’re not able to show the video or feel that having your students hear her words read in class will work better in your classroom, then either read her speech out loud; have a student volunteer read her speech out loud; or cut up her speech into the 21 segments (in <a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Handout%20-%20South%20L.A.%20Student%20On%20Gun%20Violence.pdf">this pdf handout</a> and also below), put them in an envelope, and send the envelope around the circle to have students draw a segment to read out loud.</p> <p>At the end of the speech (read in whatever way), ask students to discuss some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>What resonated with you about Edna’s speech?&nbsp; Why?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Are you able to relate to Edna in any way? Explain.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What in Edna’s speech do you have questions about?&nbsp; Chart student questions and consider doing a follow up research project (whether around the names Edna mentions in her speech, who they are and why she mentions them in this context, school policies of “zero tolerance” and “restorative justice” and/or other questions students may have).<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What does Edna say about her neighborhood?&nbsp; What does Edna say about gun violence in her neighborhood?&nbsp;&nbsp; How does it impact her and the people around her?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What are your thoughts and feelings about this?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What are some of the solutions Edna sees to the problem of gun violence in South Los Angeles?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Who does she say needs to be involved with the solution?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How does this relate to the protests that have been happening around the country in general and in your neighborhood in particular?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How does this all relate to the April 20, 2018, walkout and other events planned around the country or in your neighborhood, town or city?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Closing Ceremony</h4> <p><br> Edna Chavez’s speech was described in the media as emotional, impassioned and inspiring.</p> <p>As she returned home to South L.A., Edna shared of her participation in the historic Washington March: “It was a really emotional experience, but it was also a very beautiful and great experience. This has empowered me a lot, it has empowered all of us."&nbsp;</p> <p>Chavez’s fellow student Nathaniel Belteton added: “South L.A.'s voice was heard nationally, Chicago's voice was heard nationally, low-income communities were heard on a national level, so change is on the rise."&nbsp; Chavez said the next step was getting more resources into the communities that need them the most. "The mental health resources, the mentorship programs, the job opportunities and paid internship programs – that's what's needed in South L.A.," she said. ABC News reported: “Chavez and the other teens say they are committed to fighting for change, saying lives depend on it.”&nbsp; <a href="http://abc7.com/politics/edna-chavez-returns-after-impassioned-march-for-our-lives-speech/3263279/">(ABC 7 eyewitness news)</a>&nbsp;</p> <p>What does hearing Edna and Nathaniel call for change in their low-income communities bring up for you?&nbsp; Share a thought, feeling, wish or action that you’d like to contribute to the struggle for safer communities.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Edna Lizbeth Chavez Speaks at the Washington March for our Lives</h4> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>At Community Coalition, we organize high school students to develop their leadership skills in order to push for educational justice in our communities. That’s why I got involved. I wanted to impact policies and make sure our voices are heard.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I am a youth leader. I am a survivor. I have lived in South L.A. my entire life and have lost many loved ones to gun violence. This is normal, normal to the point that I have learned to duck from bullets before I learned how to read.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>My brother, he was in high school when he passed away. It was a day like any other day, sunset going down on South Central. You hear pops, thinking they’re fireworks. They weren’t pops. You see the melanin on your brother’s skin turn gray. Ricardo was his name.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I lost more than my brother that day. I lost my hero. I also lost my mother, my sister and myself to that trauma and that anxiety.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If the bullet did not kill me, that anxiety and that trauma will. I carry that trauma everywhere I go. I carry it with me in schools, in class, walking home and visiting loved ones.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I am not alone in this experience.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For decades, my community of South Los Angeles has become accustomed to this violence.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It is normal to see candles. It is normal to see posters. It is normal to see balloons. It is normal to see flowers honoring the lives of black and brown youth that have lost their lives to a bullet.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>How can we cope with it, when our school district has its own police department? Instead of making black and brown students feel safe, they continue to profile and criminalize us.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>We should have a department specializing in restorative justice. We need to tackle the root causes of the issues we face, and come to an understanding on how to resolve them.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I am here to honor the Florida students that lost their lives and to stand with the Parkland students. I am here, today, to honor Ricardo. I am here today to honor Stephon Clark. I am here today to uplift my South L.A. community!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Enough is enough.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Question: How many more children have to die so that this problem is finally acknowledged?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Policymakers, listen up. Arming teachers will not work! More security in our schools does not work!&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Zero-tolerance policies do not work!&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>They make us feel like criminals. We should feel empowered and supported in our schools.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Instead of funding these policies, fund mentorship programs, mental health resources, paid internship and job opportunities.&nbsp; My brother, like many others, would have benefited from this.&nbsp; So let’s make it happen.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It’s important to work with people that are impacted by these issues.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>We need to focus on changing the conditions that foster violence and trauma. And that’s how we will transform our communities and uplift our voices.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This has not, and shall not, stop us. It has only empowered us.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Mi nombre, my name, is Edna Lizbeth Chávez. Remember my name. Remember these faces. Remember us and how we’re making a change.&nbsp;La lucha sigue [the fight continues] Gracias y bendiciones [thank you and blessings].</p> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2018-04-10T15:25:14-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 10, 2018 - 15:25">April 10, 2018</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Tue, 10 Apr 2018 19:25:14 +0000 Laura McClure 1178 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org A Dialogue on Youth Leadership https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/dialogue-youth-leadership <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>A Dialogue on Youth Leadership</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p style="margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in">&nbsp;</p> <h4>Gathering</h4> <p>Display the photos below (or see <a href="/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Youth%20Activism%20Handouts.pdf">this set of pdf handouts</a>).</p> <p>Invite students to look closely at the photos then discuss:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>What are these photos of?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What do you notice about the young people in these photos?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What are they marching for/against?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Where is the overlap in what these students are marching for/against?</li> </ul> <p style="margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; margin-left:.5in">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in"><img alt="Young activists march for black lives" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e1b3a0bc-dceb-46e0-a2d1-cfe7e271da44" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/BLM%20Youth.jpg" width="640" height="360" loading="lazy"></p> <p style="margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:Times,serif"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alisdare/28113568721" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">https://www.flickr.com/photos/alisdare/28113568721</span></span></a></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in"><img alt="Marching for gun control in Boston" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d65ccbf1-81ed-4815-966f-9700dab4ac8b" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Gun%20Control%20Youth.jpg" width="640" height="428" loading="lazy"></p> <p style="margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:Times,serif"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fibonacciblue/39513397825/in/photostream/" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">https://www.flickr.com/photos/fibonacciblue/39513397825/in/photostream/</span></span></a> </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in">&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in">&nbsp;</p> <h4>Teen Activism:&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>Emma Gonzalez Tweets</strong></h4> <p><br> Invite students to read the tweets below, which are also included in this&nbsp;<a href="/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Youth%20Activism%20Handouts.pdf">handout</a>&nbsp;(Handout 1).&nbsp;</p> <p>Explain that the handout includes a set of tweets by Emma Gonzalez, a student from Marjory&nbsp;Stoneman Douglas High School&nbsp;in Parkland, Fla. Gonzalez and her classmates have become activists in the fight to stop gun violence following a shooting at their school that killed 17 people.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in"><img alt="Emma Gonzalez tweets" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8e94ee73-30f3-48b2-bb5a-c9eb8ff7f442" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Gonzalez%204%20tweets.jpg" width="557" height="1266" loading="lazy"></p> <p>After they've read the tweets, ask&nbsp;students to discuss:</p> <ul> <li>What stands out for you&nbsp;about these tweets?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What does Emma Gonzalez say about her own community in these tweets?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What does she say about Chicago?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How does she describe the meeting with the students from Chicago?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What does she say about the platform the Parkland students have established?</li> </ul> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in"><br> &nbsp;</p> <h4 style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Teen Activism: Media Responses<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>Next, ask students to read Media Responses to Student Activism&nbsp;below, and also in the <a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Youth%20Activism%20Handouts.pdf">pdf handout</a>&nbsp;(Handout 2).&nbsp; Explain that this handout includes quotes from a variety of media sources about activism by the Parkland students and by young people who have been part of the Black Lives Matter movement.</p> <p>After they’ve read the handout, ask students to turn to a partner, or meet in triads, to discuss &nbsp;their thoughts and feelings about what they read.</p> <p>Bring students back to the full group to share out what they discussed according to the following questions:<br> &nbsp;</p> <ol> <li>What does the handout say about the student activists from Parkland, Florida?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What are some of the words used to describe these young activists?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What does the handout say about the young black activists who have been mobilizing?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What are some of the words used to describe these young activists?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What are the similarities/differences between these groups? &nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>In what ways are the two groups connected?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What is “the complicated” Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors recommends we lean into [and explore]?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How does this connect back to Emma’s tweets from before?</li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p style="margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in">&nbsp;</p> <h4>Media Responses to Student Activism<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>“The shooting massacre of 17 people … at Marjory&nbsp;Stoneman Douglas High School&nbsp;in Parkland, Fla., not only reignited the debate over gun control but also launched a group of teenage activists.&nbsp; Students from the school have given dozens of interviews, gained hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter and visited the White House and the Florida state Capitol. They’ve challenged senators and congressional representatives on live television and gone viral in videos of their pleas to prevent another slaughter.”&nbsp; <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-parkland-student-activists-20180223-htmlstory.html">http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-parkland-student-activists-20180223-htmlstory.html</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“Experts say the [Parkland] teens … are uniquely positioned to become the leading voices in the gun debate. This generation has grown up as native users of social media and have never known a time when there weren't mass shootings at schools. "This has happened in their community in their school. They’re given this window of opportunity to speak out for a generation that is tired of being unable to speak out against gun violence," …. The students are of the right age and era to articulate exactly how gun violence has affected them.” <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/how-parkland-survivors-became-advocates-gun-reform-n849596">https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/how-parkland-survivors-became-advocates-gun-reform-n849596</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“The students are smart, articulate, and direct in what they want: gun reform, or at least a country where schools are safer—and they're&nbsp;mobilizing … [using] social media. There have been efforts on Snapchat that track protests and walkouts. There have been teenagers connecting with each other through Twitter hashtags to present a unified front.” <a href="https://psmag.com/education/after-the-parkland-shooting-listen-to-the-teens">https://psmag.com/education/after-the-parkland-shooting-listen-to-the-teens</a>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For some black activists who have long been mobilizing around gun violence, the current wave of public attention and outrage over the issue is welcome. But it also invites the question of why there’s been comparatively little attention and outrage focused on the even more common reality of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/21/gun-control-debate-mass-shootings-gun-violence" target="_blank">routine gun homicides</a> in the country, which disproportionately affect communities of color, and specifically black Americans.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-lives-gun-violence-florida-shooting_us_5a8f1a11e4b00804dfe6a466">https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-lives-gun-violence-florida-shooting_us_5a8f1a11e4b00804dfe6a466</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When “the young people of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/social-issues/black-lives-matter-ORCIG000122-topic.html" title="Black Lives Matter">Black Lives Matter</a>&nbsp;…. were protesting in … cities across America, much of the country didn’t bother to listen to their message. They were not embraced by the mainstream for their bravery, their determination or resolve to bring attention to reckless police killings that disproportionately impact young African-Americans. Some labeled them troublemakers, even terrorists. <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/glanton/ct-met-florida-teens-black-lives-matter-dahleen-glanton-20180223-story.html">http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/glanton/ct-met-florida-teens-black-lives-matter-dahleen-glanton-20180223-story.html</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>“I’m very impressed and inspired by what I’m seeing these students do. Fighting for gun control ― I take my hat off to them,” Cobe Williams, deputy director at Chicago-based gun violence prevention organization <a href="http://cureviolence.org/post/staff/ricardo-cobe-williams/">Cure Violence</a> told HuffPost on Wednesday.&nbsp; “I like what they’re doing, and we’re doing this on an everyday basis,” he said. “I applaud them, but we see this violence on an everyday basis. It could be one person or 24 people ― one person shot and killed is too many.” <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-lives-gun-violence-florida-shooting_us_5a8f1a11e4b00804dfe6a466">https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-lives-gun-violence-florida-shooting_us_5a8f1a11e4b00804dfe6a466</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Prominent black <a href="https://twitter.com/CharleneCac/status/966124262254960641">organizers</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/rgay/status/966381473317117952">public figures</a> have ... noted the largely positive public response to the student activists from Parkland ― most of whom are not black and who attended <a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/florida/districts/broward-county-public-schools/marjory-stoneman-douglas-high-school-4749">school</a> in a <a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/02/portait-of-parkland/553547/">largely white, relatively affluent</a>&nbsp;Florida suburb ― compared to the <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rush-limbaugh-black-lives-matter_us_577fd49de4b0344d514f0c95">frequent</a> <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fox-news-charlottesville_us_59907720e4b090964297b9d3">vilification</a>&nbsp;of young black activists protesting gun violence, particularly police shootings.&nbsp; “It’s complicated, but I would encourage us to lean into [and explore] the complicated,” Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors said.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-lives-gun-violence-florida-shooting_us_5a8f1a11e4b00804dfe6a466">https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-lives-gun-violence-florida-shooting_us_5a8f1a11e4b00804dfe6a466</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Closing</h4> <ul> <li>What is one wish that you have for youth activists from Parkland, FL, who are fighting gun violence?</li> <li>What is one wish that you have for youth&nbsp;activists from Chicago who are fighting gun violence?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in">&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Marieke van Woerkom</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2018-03-13T10:55:07-04:00" title="Tuesday, March 13, 2018 - 10:55">March 13, 2018</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Tue, 13 Mar 2018 14:55:07 +0000 Marieke van Woerkom 1167 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org A Look at Gun Control Laws https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/look-gun-control-laws <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>A Look at Gun Control Laws</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Ask&nbsp;students to read the information below, either silently or out loud.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/03/americas/us-gun-statistics/index.html">Gun homicide rates</a> are 25 times higher in the U.S. than in other wealthy countries. About 40,000&nbsp; Americans die in gun-related deaths each year – and there are more public mass shootings in the U.S. than in any other country.&nbsp; Americans also own more guns per capita than any other country in the world (89 firearms for every 100 people)</p> <p>After each mass shooting, the public, the media, and the lawmakers engage in very predictable discussions about whether stricter gun laws should be enacted, usually resulting in little or no action.&nbsp;</p> <p>But the determined leadership of young people has changed the usual storyline in 2018.&nbsp; After a February 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students and their allies have begun what may be the most powerful effort yet to strengthen U.S. gun laws.</p> <p>They have already brought results that established gun control organizations have been unable to accomplish:</p> <ul> <li>meetings with the president and congresspeople</li> <li>legislators flipping on the issue</li> <li>legislative action in at least two states</li> <li>major corporations cutting ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and restricting gun sales at stores</li> <li>inspiring student walkouts across the country</li> <li>raising millions of dollars for the fight</li> <li>crushing the politicians and NRA in the media and social media (#NeverAgain, #DouglasStrong, #ParklandTownHall, #KilltheNRA, etc.</li> </ul> <p>And on March 9, 2018, Florida, one of the most gun-friendly states in the country and a “pioneer” in pro-gun laws, approved the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. Under intense pressure from Parkland students, the Florida state legislature and governor defied the NRA to pass a law that:</p> <ul> <li>raises the minimum age to buy firearms to 21</li> <li>funds mental health assistance in schools</li> <li>bans “bump stocks” (which allow semi-automatic rifles to operate automatically)</li> <li>requires a 3-day waiting period for gun sales</li> <li>increases the power of police to seize guns from people with mental health issues</li> </ul> <p>The bill also includes some provisions that students did not advocate, including funding&nbsp;to arm school staff and requirements for “hardening” schools with metal detectors, bullet-proof glass, and better locks.</p> <p>Despite their&nbsp;victories, the young people are facing mighty opposition. The Republicans now in control of the House, Senate, and White House are staunchly opposed to significant gun reform. They are backed by the NRA, which provides powerful support for pro-gun politicians. They also have strong support from pro-gun constituents, who fight what they view as encroachments on their fundamental Second Amendment right to own guns. Though polls consistently show that most Americans favor some kinds of gun control, most of these voters don’t feel as strongly about gun control as do the supporters of gun rights.</p> <p>But, pushed by young organizers, passion is growing for gun control. And students have said that they are in the fight for the long haul.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>For Discussion</strong></p> <ol> <li>Why do you think the U.S. is so prone to gun violence compared to the rest of the world?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What do you think of the Douglas High School students’ campaign for more gun control?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Congress and the White House are currently controlled by gun reform opponents.&nbsp;How could a movement for gun control win?</li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Small Group Reading &amp; Discussion</strong></p> <p><br> Tell students that today we’ll consider the different kinds of gun reform laws that have been proposed.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ask students to break into six groups. Give each group one of these <a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/GunControlLawsHandouts.pdf">six handouts</a> (the handouts are also included below) and some chart paper. &nbsp;</p> <p>Each handout covers a different category of gun legislation and specific proposals within that category. Most of these proposals have been enacted into law in at least a few states. The six categories are:</p> <p>1. &nbsp;Background checks, licensing, and tracking of gun sales</p> <p>2. &nbsp;Limiting who can purchase guns</p> <p>3.&nbsp; Banning certain types of weapons</p> <p>4. &nbsp;Requiring gun safety</p> <p>5. &nbsp;Restricting where and how guns are carried</p> <p>6. &nbsp;Pro-gun laws supported by the NRA<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Give each group a few minutes to read their <a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/GunControlLawsHandouts.pdf">handout</a>. Then give each group 5-10 minutes to discuss the following questions:<br> &nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>What do you think of this kind of gun law? Does it make sense to you? Why or why not?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Do any of the proposals stand out for you as especially important to support?&nbsp; Why?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Do you strongly oppose any of the proposals? Why?</li> </ul> <p><br> Now give each group 5 minutes to decide on how they will present their information to the class, using the chart paper.&nbsp; Groups should:</p> <p>1)&nbsp; give the class an overview of the laws in their category and</p> <p>2)<strong> </strong>share with the class a few of their thoughts on these laws</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p><br> <strong>Whole Group Presentations &amp; Discussion</strong></p> <p><br> Bring the whole class together, and ask each group to share what they’ve learned.&nbsp;</p> <p>Next, engage the class in discussion using some or all of the questions below.<br> &nbsp;</p> <ol> <li>What kind of gun control laws would be most effective in protecting people from harm? Why?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How do we balance the individual rights of people to own guns with the rights of people to be safe?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Do you think some of the laws being proposed would be appropriate in cities but not in rural areas? &nbsp;If so, what does that suggest to you about gun reform laws?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What can young people do to voice their opinions on this issue? How can they influence policy?</li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p><em><a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/GunControlLawsHandouts.pdf">View handouts as PDF</a></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Handout 1: Background checks, licensing &amp; tracking of gun sales</strong></p> <p>These proposals require people to have a background check or get a license to purchase a gun, and give law enforcement agencies information on who owns the guns.</p> <p>Some states require people to get a permit before purchasing a handgun, and sometimes require a mandatory training course. A few states require permits for all firearms—including rifles (or “long guns”).&nbsp; Federal law requires gun makers and sellers to have a gun dealers’ license.</p> <p>Legislation has been proposed to:</p> <ul> <li>Close the gun show loophole that currently exempts private sellers and buyers of guns from having to perform background checks on their buyers. The same loophole permits private online sales without back ground checks or licenses.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Create a ballistics database that would match bullets with the guns that fired them<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Establish a national firearms registry<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Require permits and mandatory training in all states<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Require periodic renewals of gun licenses<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Establish a waiting period&nbsp; after purchasing a gun, when you can actually take possession (time for an angry person to cool down)<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Require states to provide information to the national databases on individuals that might prevent them from buying a gun<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Require manufacturers to stamp a traceable code onto ammunition<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Require gun dealers to record details of ammunition sales<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <p><br> <strong>Handout 2: &nbsp;Limits on who can purchase a gun</strong><br> &nbsp;</p> <p>These are laws that exclude some people from being able to buy a gun. The 1968 Gun Control Act prohibits the sale of guns to people who have served time (over one year) in prison, fugitives, people who are addicted to drugs, undocumented immigrants, those under restraining orders, and other specified persons.</p> <p>Proposed laws would:</p> <ul> <li>permit local police, with a court order,&nbsp; to temporarily seize guns from people who are judged to be a danger to themselves or others<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>prevent minors (under the age 21) from purchasing guns<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>ban gun sales to mentally ill people (beyond those already excluded because their illness was adjudicated)<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>require psychotherapists, law officers, and schools to report people who are demonstrating violent behavior to the national database<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>expand the list of conditions that &nbsp;would exclude gun ownership to include some lesser crimes (misdemeanors) involving violence, to some juvenile offenses and also to those addicted drugs or alcohol<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>deny gun permits to those on the terrorist watch list<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>mandate that current gun owners surrender their weapons if they become ineligible for ownership of firearms for any reason<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>expand the existing ban on domestic abusers to include stalkers, abusive dating partners, and more family members than just partners and children<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>allow police to remove firearms from the scene of a domestic violence incident<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>extend prohibitions on weapons purchases to ammunition purchases<br> <br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Handout 3:&nbsp; Banning certain weapons</strong></p> <p><br> Certain weapons are designed to shoot many bullets easily and extremely quickly. Owning fully automatic machine guns (along with sawed-off shotguns and some other weapons) has been illegal since the 1930s.</p> <p>&nbsp;New laws have been proposed to ban the sales of:</p> <ul> <li>semi-automatic rifles that load the next bullet automatically after a bullet is fired (allowing the shooter to fire almost 100 bullets in a minute)<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>kits that convert semi-automatic rifles to fully automatic (“bump stocks” for example)<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>high-capacity magazines that allow shooters to fire up to 100 rounds of ammunition without reloading. The federal ban on these expired in 2004.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>silencers<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>ultra-compact (very concealable, semi-automatic) guns<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>assault weapons—though the term has no precise definition. Since the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban, states have banned these guns based on how many military features the semi-automatic guns&nbsp; have. These features include things like detachable magazines, and the ability to accept a bayonet or flash suppressor<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>particular ammunition like armor-piercing bullets<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <p><br> <strong>Handout 4: Requiring gun safety</strong></p> <p>Federal law only requires that gun dealers provide their customers with some means of locking or securely storing the weapon. There is no requirement that the purchaser actually secures the weapon.&nbsp; Congress has effectively blocked the National Institutes for Health and Centers for Disease Control from spending any money on firearms as a health issue—despite the large number of firearms deaths and injuries. States have had to pass their own laws to promote safety—especially for children.</p> <p>&nbsp;Gun safety laws include:</p> <ul> <li>making it a crime to have guns unsecured with children around (some states make it a crime only if the child has actually shot someone)<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>requiring that all firearms be stored with locking devices<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>permitting lawsuits against parents who give their children access to guns and the child then shoots someone<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>encouraging (and eventually requiring) handgun manufacturers to develop “smart guns” that can only be fired by the owner<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>providing for federal regulation of safety standards for firearms (Guns are specifically excluded from the products regulated by the Consumer Products Safety Commission)<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>ensuring that all guns have some indicator that shows that a bullet is ready to be fired<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>making home manufacture of guns with 3D printing illegal<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>including guns that use compressed gas (rather than gunpowder) in gun laws</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Handout 5: Restricting where and how guns are carried</strong></p> <p>Some of the fiercest fights over gun control have been about limiting where guns may be taken and the rights of localities to exclude guns certain institutions. Similarly, there is the issue of whether the guns may be hidden.</p> <p>&nbsp;Laws that reflect these concerns include:<br> &nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>requiring a permit for a concealed weapon (sometimes with conditions)<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>prohibiting concealed weapons in places like schools or sporting events<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>regulating the carrying of guns in the open in public places<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>excluding specific buildings, institutions, or places like schools, colleges, hospitals, bars, casinos,&nbsp; election polling places, government buildings&nbsp; or churches<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>prohibiting concealed guns (even with a permit) in schools<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <p><br> <strong>Handout 6: Pro-gun laws supported by the NRA</strong></p> <p><br> The NRA and other gun lobbyists work hard not just to defeat gun control efforts, but to loosen the restrictions that are already law. Since the school shooting in Newton Connecticut, in which 26 people were killed, almost 600 gun laws have been passed.&nbsp; According to USA Today, two thirds of these laws were supported by the NRA. Some of the issues the NRA has been working on include:<br> &nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>“State preemption”:&nbsp; These state laws that prohibit cities and towns from enacting gun controls that are counter to state laws. Forty states have such laws—some with penalties for cities which pass strict gun laws<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>"State reciprocity”:&nbsp; These laws allow gun permits of one state to be recognized by other states. In December 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill mandating that all states have reciprocity, and attaching it to a larger bill to fix holes in the background check database.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>“Peaceable journey”: These laws allow legal guns to be transported through states in which they are illegal.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Gun license confidentiality: These laws that exempt gun permits and licenses from open records laws.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p><br> <strong>Sources</strong></p> <p><a href="http://lawcenter.giffords.org/">http://lawcenter.giffords.org/</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/28/politics/why-gun-control-fails-polls-misleading/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/28/politics/why-gun-control-fails-polls-misleading/index.html</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/28/17058236/gun-control-research-parkland-shooting">https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/28/17058236/gun-control-research-parkland-shooting</a></p> <p><a href="https://news.yale.edu/2016/01/27/gun-control-misperceptions-qa-yale-researcher-benjamin-miller">https://news.yale.edu/2016/01/27/gun-control-misperceptions-qa-yale-researcher-benjamin-miller</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/parkland-students-power/554399/">https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/parkland-students-power/554399/</a></p> <p><a href="https://everytown.org/">https://everytown.org/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.bradycampaign.org/our-work/changing-laws">http://www.bradycampaign.org/our-work/changing-laws</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/02/hundreds-new-state-gun-laws-most-expand-access-there-hundreds-new-state-gun-laws-most-expand-rights/388775002/">https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/02/hundreds-new-state-gun-laws-most-expand-access-there-hundreds-new-state-gun-laws-most-expand-rights/388775002/</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nraila.org/articles/20070611/citizens-deserve-law-s-deterrent-effect">https://www.nraila.org/articles/20070611/citizens-deserve-law-s-deterrent-effect</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2018-03-13T10:38:29-04:00" title="Tuesday, March 13, 2018 - 10:38">March 13, 2018</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Tue, 13 Mar 2018 14:38:29 +0000 Sara Carrero 1166 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Youth Activism, Now and Then https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/youth-activism-now-and-then <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Youth Activism, Now and Then</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>&nbsp;</p> <h4><span><span><span><span>Student Activism Web</span></span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span>Ask students for their associations with the phrase "STUDENT ACTIVISM" and record their ideas graphically on a web chart. Making webs often stimulates creative thinking. To make one, write the core words, in this case "student activism," in the center of the board or on chart paper and circle them. Write student associations with the core words so that they radiate out from the center. Related ideas can be grouped.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Encourage associations while energy is high. Ask open-ended questions to stimulate groups that are struggling to get going or keep going. As energy tapers off, ask students to read what's on the web and ask some or all of the following debrief questions:</span></span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span><span><span><span>What do you notice about the web?&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>Are there generalizations we can make about what's on the web?&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>Based on the words in this web, can you try to come up with a definition for the phrase "student activism"?</span></span></span></span></li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4><span><span><span><span>Walk through Time: American Student Activism</span></span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span>In this activity, you’ll invite students to look at instances of youth activism the U.S.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Explain that r</span></span></span><span><span>ight now,&nbsp;as high school students&nbsp;are taking the lead in organizing to stop gun violence, it's worth remembering that young people have been central to many social justice movements in this country across many decades. The students who are organizing against gun violence in the aftermath of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are part of that long history of youth activism.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>In this activity, students will take a walk through time by putting together a timeline of American student activism.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Make six copies of Handout #1. (Here is&nbsp;the <a href="/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Handouts%201%20and%202%20-%20Youth%20Activism.pdf">pdf version of&nbsp;Handouts 1 &amp; 2</a>. The handouts are&nbsp;also included below.) </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Cut each copy into separate slips of paper (one slip for each case of youth activism described on the sheet).&nbsp; Mix up the slips of paper from each copy and put them in an envelope, so that you end up with six envelopes. &nbsp;</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Split your class into smaller groups of around 4 to 6 students each.&nbsp; Provide each group with an envelope containing the youth activism events. &nbsp;Next, invite each group to organize the historical events in their envelope in chronological order – creating a timeline of student activism. &nbsp;Ask students to look over their timeline and discuss thoughts and feelings that come up.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Bring students back to the full group and ask them to discuss:</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Past events:</span></span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span><span><span><span>What were some of your thoughts and feelings about the timeline you just compiled?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What did you notice or learn?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What is similar about the various student actions?&nbsp; What is different?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What were some of the issues young people have mobilized around over the years? <em>Chart students’ responses.</em></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>Who were the young people leading these efforts? <em>Chart.</em></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>Which efforts were you familiar with? Which were new to you?&nbsp; <em>Circle in different colors.</em></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>Do you know of any youth activism that is missing from this timeline?&nbsp; <em>Add. </em></span></span></span></span></li> </ul> <p><span><span><span><span>Current events:</span></span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span><span><span><span>What issues are students mobilizing around today that you are familiar with? </span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>How are these issues connected to the issues in history that students mobilized around? </span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>Who are the students mobilizing today?</span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <h4><br> <span><span><span><span>American Student Activism Today </span></span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span>Invite students to read Handout #2.&nbsp; (Here is&nbsp;the <a href="/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Handouts%201%20and%202%20-%20Youth%20Activism.pdf">pdf version of&nbsp;Handouts 1 &amp; 2</a>. The handouts are&nbsp;also included below.) </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Invite students to mark up the handout as they look for answers to the following questions:</span></span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span><span><span><span>What issues are students mobilizing around?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What obstacles are they facing?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What are some of the ways that students are overcoming those obstacles?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What methods and strategies are they using?</span></span></span></span></li> </ul> <p><span><span><span><span>Bring students back together after reading the handout, and invite them to discuss the questions above.</span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> <span><span><span><span>Closing:&nbsp; Advice from an Adult School Shooting Survivor</span></span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span>Read out loud the following advice, quoted from an open letter in <a href="http://time.com/5177300/school-shooting-survivor-parkland-hope/">TIME magazine</a>, written by a survivor who experienced a mass shooting at her college campus 25 years ago:</span></span></span></span></p> <blockquote> <p><span><span><span><span>Don’t listen when adults tell you something can’t change. Even though supposedly "nothing has changed" and it is still way too easy to get guns, a lot of other things have changed. One example: In the early ‘90s, when I attended Simon’s Rock, it seemed like everyone smoked. But 25 years later, I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen someone smoking a cigarette. Another example: My kid is confident and comfortable with using 'they'&nbsp;as a pronoun for the people in his life who have non-binary genders. Change happens.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>You are right to call B.S. on the idea that nothing can be done.&nbsp; You have inspired me. As a mother, as an educator, as someone who is fundamentally optimistic about the ways young people can&nbsp;<em>create&nbsp;</em>change, I am excited to see what you will do.&nbsp; You are part of a continuum of young activists that includes the Dreamers&nbsp;and the Movement for Black Lives. Your generation has the savvy and the tools and the motivation. Rise up. Fight back. Show up — whether it’s in Tallahassee, in D.C., or on social media. Channel your grief and frustration and rage into action. This is going to be a long struggle and the trauma of your losses may overwhelm you at times. Stay strong. Take care of each other. Love each other. We are listening. We are here with you.</span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p><span><span><span><span>Invite students to reflect on this quote.&nbsp; What does it convey to them?&nbsp; Ask students as you send a talking piece around to share their reflections.</span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> <span><span><span><span>Handout 1: Student Activism in the 20th Century</span></span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span>(<a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Handouts%201%20and%202%20-%20Youth%20Activism.pdf">See the pdf version here</a>.)</span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“The labor and socialist movements had youth affiliates going back to the beginning of the century,” says Maurice Isserman, professor of History at Hamilton College and co-author of&nbsp;<em>America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s.</em>” (TIME)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span>In 1903, it was 400 children who staged a three-week march from Philadelphia to Theodore Roosevelt’s summer home in New York to bring attention to the abuses of child labor.&nbsp; (Washington Post)</span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>One early example of a young person organizing an act of resistance on her own took place on April 23, 1951, when 16-year-old Barbara Johns led a walkout at the all-black Robert Russa Moton High School in Virginia to protest abysmal conditions. Johns contacted the NAACP, which took her case all the way to the Supreme Court, where</span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/v1.htm"><span><span><span><span>&nbsp;it was one of the five cases</span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span>&nbsp;involved in the 1954&nbsp;</span></span></span></span><em><span><span><span><span><span>Brown v. Board of Education&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></em><span><span><span><span>desegregation ruling.&nbsp; (TIME)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span>In 1951, 16-year old Barbara Johns led a walkout at the all-black Robert Russa Moton High School in Virginia to protest racial injustice there. She contacted the NAACP, which sued on her behalf, and her case became one of five involved in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education desegregation ruling.&nbsp; <span>(Yes Magazine)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>There are many examples throughout the civil rights era of brave actions by high school students. While most people know the name Rosa Parks, few might know about <a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/black-history-month-everyday-hero">Claudette Colvin</a>, who in 1955 was just 15 when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus in segregated Montgomery, Alabama—nine months before Park was arrested for the same offense.&nbsp; (Yes Magazine)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>In February 1960, four black students from North Carolina A&amp;T State University walked into Woolworth’s in Greensboro, North Carolina, and sat down at its “whites only” lunch counter. Every day for six months black students returned to the lunch counter; over time their numbers swelled. The sit-in—central in the fight for black civil rights—soon sparked similar nonviolent protests across the South. From its inception, the 1960s civil rights movement was fueled by youth leaders and student activists. In many cases college students were the ones leading marches, voter-registration drives, and social justice actions. Yet in lesser known, equally defining moments, younger students of color were spearheading efforts to tackle inequalities and systemic factors that worked against them. &nbsp;(Atlantic)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Martin Luther King Jr. and his fellow activists realized another unique role that children could play in their movement. That realization gave rise to an even more famous Children’s Crusade.</span></span></span><span>&nbsp; <span><span>On May 2, 1963, more than 1,000 children in Birmingham, Ala., skipped class to demonstrate as part of the controversial protest. According to King’s colleague James Bevel, a key organizer of the campaign, part of the idea was that they knew the participants would likely be arrested, but a high-school student — unlike a worker — could spend time in jail without creating an economic problem for the community.&nbsp; (TIME)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>This was the case in Chicago, where public schools in segregated black neighborhoods were under-resourced and overcrowded. In what’s been called “one of the largest and most overlooked civil rights actions of the 1960s” 250,000 students staged a one-day boycott in October 1963. Estimates are that half of Chicago students participated in the walkout, with about 20,000 marching to the Chicago Board of Education in a mass demonstration for equitable resources for black children. (Atlantic) </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>In 1964 “over 450,000 black and Puerto Rican students protested de facto segregation in New York City’s public schools, a decade after&nbsp;<em>Brown v. Board of Education</em>&nbsp;struck down segregated schooling.” (Atlantic) </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>During the early 1960s, many young Indians from reservations and rural areas were now attending universities. Their consciousness had been raised by attending university Indian clubs, Regional Indian Youth Councils, the annual Workshops on American Indian Affairs and the famed 1961 American Indian Chicago Conference. Out of these came … [the founders of the National Indian Youth Council] … in August 1961. The organization’s goal was to press for Indian self-determination, cultural preservation, Indian sovereignty, and for the government to uphold treaty rights.…. They did plan on demonstrating. They got their first chance during the 1964 Washington State fish-ins, where they helped local Native Americans press for recognition of fishing rights guaranteed to them by treaty.&nbsp; It was here that the NIYC first used the term “Red Power.” (Project Muse)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Junior high school student Mary Beth Tinker was suspended in 1965 for wearing an armband to school to protest the war in Vietnam. About four years later, in&nbsp;</span></span></span><em><span><span><span><span>Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District,&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></em><span><span><span>the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”&nbsp; (TIME)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span>In the late 1960s, Fred Hampton rose to prominence as the leader of the Black Panther Party in Chicago. [He joined the party as a 19-year-old high school student.] A powerful speaker and charismatic figure, Hampton racked up groundbreaking and concrete accomplishments early on. He negotiated a peace accord between the city’s violent and powerful street gangs; started a program for neighborhoods to monitor police abuse; and organized community projects including five branches of the Panther’s Free Breakfast for Children program, a community medical center and door-to-door health services across Chicago.</span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>In 1968 “Chicano high school students in Los Angeles staged a massive walkout amid the growing '</span></span></span><span><span>El Movimiento</span></span><span><span><span>' …. The students wanted Mexican-American history and culture to be taught in their classrooms. They also wanted the school district to address high dropout rates, overcrowding, and the "incompetent teachers and counselors who steered Latino students into auto shop instead of college-track courses," according to the <em>LA Times</em>. Thousands of students across the city participated in the walkouts. The protests lasted a week before the school board agreed to meet with students, teachers, and parents. The board conceded that changes needed to be made but insisted it lacked the funding to do so. This didn't sit well with students, and the unrest continued. "In our small part of the world, we were going to force some kind of change and some kind of equality," Kathy Ochoa, who was in 10th grade, told the&nbsp;</span></span></span><em><span><span><span><span>LA Times</span></span></span></span></em><span><span><span>&nbsp;20 years later.” (NPR)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>On&nbsp;</span></span></span><span><span>June 28, 1969<span>, [Stonewall Inn] patrons clashed with police officers, … setting&nbsp;off what we now know as the modern LGBT movement, including the tradition of LGBT Pride marches. …. </span>Rivera was a 17-year-old Puerto Rican drag queen on the night of the riot. According to one&nbsp;biography, Rivera was in the crowd that gathered outside of the bar as anger in the West Village neighborhood swelled. …. She's cited as one of the first bystanders to throw a bottle, a big deal given the power dynamics of the situation with police. Talking about the riots years later in Carter's book, Rivera remembered, "This was started by the street queens of that era, which I was part of …."&nbsp; After Stonewall, Rivera became an outspoken activist who rallied against racism, sexual violence and, after she began identifying as a woman, transphobia. (Mic.com)</span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>In the late 1960s and early 1970s, high school students across America staged "blowouts" (their term for walkouts) to protest unequal conditions in their high schools. Teens not yet in college organized demonstrations opposing racial discrimination, calling for black and Chicano history to be taught in their schools, resisting the draft and demanding an end to the Vietnam War (a conflict they had seen take the lives of their older brothers). (CNN)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Along with the War in Vietnam — which led to the refrain&nbsp;</span></span></span></span><span><span><span>“Old enough to fight, old enough to vote”<span>&nbsp;— recognition of that generation’s&nbsp;</span>high level of formal schooling<span>&nbsp;and civic education was a factor that led to the movement to lower the voting age to 18.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span><span><span><span>By 1970, … Americans in the 18-to-21 age range were already participating in political activities, student-led demonstrations, voter registration drives, and&nbsp;political campaigns. …. The 26th Amendment, lowering the voting age to 18, was&nbsp;ratified&nbsp;in 1971. (TIME)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><br> <span><span><span><span><span>The long reach of youth movements continued into the 1980s and 1990s as American teenagers formed a core part of international struggles against racial apartheid in South Africa, promoted a resurgence of pride and interest in Africa through hip-hop culture, and became key participants in the Million Man March and its subsequent spinoff demonstrations in the United States.&nbsp; (CNN)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4><span><span><span><span>Handout 2: Youth Activism Today</span></span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span><span>(<a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Handouts%201%20and%202%20-%20Youth%20Activism.pdf">See the pdf version here</a>.)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>More than 50 years later, movements for racial and educational justice are once again building momentum. A surge of student activism has swept across academia … as black students and their allies forcefully call attention to racist climates on American college campuses. And even as some college-student leaders cite the Black Lives Matter social justice movement&nbsp;as their inspiration, what’s happening in higher education is being matched by younger peers. High-school youth are flexing their collective muscles for equity: fighting budget cuts and out-of-school suspensions as they take on racial issues and academic offerings. (Atlantic) </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>While youth activism is now on the rise it is not without its critics, namely adults unable to view young people as equal partners in decision-making.&nbsp; …. The Harvard paper’s top recommendation to support youth organizers is respect and recognition, emphasizing “young people's autonomy, opinions, desires, and actual capacity to take part in and lead” movements for equity and justice.”&nbsp;(Atlantic)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Teenagers have taken the lead on two of the most pressing issues of the 21st century: mass Incarceration and immigration. Black Lives Matter demonstrators have galvanized some of the nation's youngest activists to embrace the spirit of social justice rooted in the civil rights era. Youthful DREAMers have placed immigration at the forefront of a new civil rights movement, at times risking their own personal residency status to speak larger political and moral truths about what it means to be an American citizen in a nation whose diversity remains a source of both enormous strength and roiling contention. (CNN)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>In 2016 “in Kentucky, [Andrew] Brennen spearheaded an effort to restore millions of dollars in state lottery funds that had been intended by law to help needy high school students pay for college but were instead diverted elsewhere. Mobilizing on social media and under #PowerballPromise,&nbsp;</span></span></span><span><span>students got lawmakers to restore $40 million<span>&nbsp;for need-based financial aid.&nbsp; “We had students from every corner of Kentucky come to the Rotunda to share stories about what it meant to be a low-income student trying to navigate the post-secondary transition process,” said Brennen, who as a high school junior formed the&nbsp;</span>Prichard Committee’s Student Voice Team<span>&nbsp;that headed the movement. (Yes Magazine)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>More recently, one of the largest Native resistance efforts in modern U.S. history, the uprising at Standing Rock had its beginnings in actions by an indigenous youth group called the&nbsp;</span></span></span><span><span>One Mind Youth Movement</span></span><span><span><span>. [In 2016] students set up a “prayer camp” on the edge of the Standing Rock reservation and organized a 2,000-mile relay-style run to Washington, D.C., to bring those concerns to federal officials and draw national attention to the issue. (Yes Magazine)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Upholding this critical value of student voice, a coalition of Asian and Pacific Islander students in Portland, Oregon, earned accolades from school-board members for their preparation and powerful anecdotes in a&nbsp;</span></span></span><span><span>campaign to add ethnic-studies classes<span>&nbsp;to the city’s public schools. The group is working with district leaders to bring Asian, black, Latino, Pacific Islander, Arab, Native, and Queer-Trans-People-of-Color studies to all of Portland’s high schools within the next four years.&nbsp; (Atlantic)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span>Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., … survivors announced that they’re planning a “March for Our Lives” for March 24 in Washington, D.C., to&nbsp;pressure members of Congress&nbsp;to pass stronger gun-control legislation. Meanwhile, dozens of D.C.-area students have already staged a “die-in” outside of the White House — and&nbsp;more are in the works&nbsp;— and&nbsp;national school walkout days&nbsp;are planned for March and April. Their goal, as expressed in the&nbsp;name of their movement, is that such a thing should “Never Again” happen. With the U.S. national voting age at 18, such actions are one of the few ways available for most high-school students to make their voices heard at the national political level. As Amy Campbell-Oates, a 16-year-old&nbsp;who organized a protest&nbsp;at South Broward High School near Parkland, told the New York&nbsp;<em><span><span>Times,&nbsp;</span></span></em>“Some of us can’t vote yet but we want to get to the people that can.”</span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>At the root of student organizing is the demand for fair and equal treatment, says Jose Sanchez, the safe schools coordinator for Voices of Youth in Chicago Education [VOYCE], an alliance of mostly high-school students of color. &nbsp;…. For years Chicago has had&nbsp;gaping racial disparities&nbsp;in suspension rates for black and white children, and a new study from University of Chicago finds the most frequently suspended students are concentrated in schools serving the most vulnerable student populations. Examining this data, VOYCE set out to address the impact of out-of-school suspensions and expulsions on their peers and schools. Illinois Senate Bill 100&nbsp;was created in 2012 by VOYCE activists who traveled regularly to the state capitol in Springfield to lobby and educate lawmakers.&nbsp; “When we were advocating for [SB 100] we sometimes weren’t taken seriously and faced adultism,” says Sanchez, adding that VOYCE students overcame the challenges by sharing their personal stories, combined with data and research aimed at eliminating the school-to-prison pipeline and “structural racism in our education system.” In August the VOYCE-drafted bill was signed by Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, ending a bipartisan, hard-fought effort. Starting in the 2016 school year, districts throughout Illinois will be required to eliminate zero-tolerance punishment, minimize out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, and adopt other discipline-related policies.&nbsp; (Atlantic)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>“The student-voice movement is mobilizing around the sense that students are ignored as active agents of their own destiny,” says Brennen, adding that student input is “largely relegated to the margin when it comes to conversations about education policy creation, feedback, and reform.” Andrew “Brennen, the Student Voice leader, reiterates the critical role that youth serve in bridging education policy and practice … “Organizations working to improve education that aren’t including student voice are doing it wrong … [We’re] not presuming to be policy experts, but we are experts on how many policies play out at the classroom level. We’re a reality check.”&nbsp; (Atlantic)</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4><span><span><span>Sources</span></span></span></h4> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span>Quotes from the Atlantic came from the following article:&nbsp;<br> <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/11/student-activism-history-injustice/417129/">https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/11/student-activism-history-injustice/417129/</a> </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Quotes from CNN came from the following article:</span></span></span><br> <span><span><span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/21/opinions/florida-students-long-activist-tradition-joseph-opinion/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/21/opinions/florida-students-long-activist-tradition-joseph-opinion/index.html</a> </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Quotes from Yes Magazine came from the following article:</span></span></span><br> <span><span><span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/21/opinions/florida-students-long-activist-tradition-joseph-opinion/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/21/opinions/florida-students-long-activist-tradition-joseph-opinion/index.html</a></span></span></span></p> <p><a href="https://www.indianz.com/News/2018/02/26/yes-magazine-youth-take-lead-from-standi.asp">https://www.indianz.com/News/2018/02/26/yes-magazine-youth-take-lead-from-standi.asp</a></p> <p><span><span><span>Quotes from TIME came from the following article:</span></span></span><br> <span><span><span><a href="http://time.com/5166976/florida-school-shooting-young-protesters/">http://time.com/5166976/florida-school-shooting-young-protesters/</a></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Quotes from NPR came from the following article:</span></span></span><br> <span><span><span><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/02/28/587933123/from-little-rock-to-parkland-a-brief-history-of-youth-activism">https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/02/28/587933123/from-little-rock-to-parkland-a-brief-history-of-youth-activism</a></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Quotes from Mic.com came from the following article:</span></span></span><br> <span><span><span><a href="https://mic.com/articles/121256/meet-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-transgender-stonewall-veterans#.7mKCzvu2g">https://mic.com/articles/121256/meet-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-transgender-stonewall-veterans#.7mKCzvu2g</a> </span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2018-03-06T09:42:43-05:00" title="Tuesday, March 6, 2018 - 09:42">March 6, 2018</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Tue, 06 Mar 2018 14:42:43 +0000 Laura McClure 1164 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Let the Students Lead https://www.morningsidecenter.org/news/let-students-lead <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Let the Students Lead</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2018-02-24T12:54:41-05:00" title="Saturday, February 24, 2018 - 12:54">February 24, 2018</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Sat, 24 Feb 2018 17:54:41 +0000 Laura McClure 1163 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org After School Shooting, Students Take the Lead https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/after-school-shooting-students-take-lead <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>After School Shooting, Students Take the Lead</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h4><span><span><strong><span><span><span>Gathering</span></span></span></strong></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Share the following quote from the news this past week:</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>“People say it’s too early to talk about it.&nbsp; If you ask me, it’s way too late.”</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Invite students to consider what story in the news this quote might have been in reference to.&nbsp;&nbsp; Who might have said it? &nbsp;&nbsp;Who was it in response to?&nbsp; What was seen as “way too late?”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Elicit and explain that this was said by </span><span><span>Cameron Kasky, a junior</span></span> <span><span>at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.,&nbsp;the site of one of the deadliest school shootings in modern American history.&nbsp; On Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at 2:19 PM, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz walked into the school, just before dismissal, with an <span>AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. &nbsp;He killed 17 people in and around the school, before getting away by discarding his rifle and ammunition and blending in with fleeing students.&nbsp; Cruz was arrested by police at 3:41 PM, as he walked down the street about a mile away from the school.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span><span><span>Invite student thoughts and feelings about the quote, when they know what it was in reference to.</span></span></span></li> </ul> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Kasky followed the earlier quote up by saying: “We need to take it into our hands.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span><span><span><span><span>Invite student thoughts and feelings about that.</span></span></span></span></span></li> </ul> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Then explain that </span></span><span><span><span>students in Parkland, Florida, did exactly that. They spoke to journalists, wrote op eds, organized walk outs, vigils, rallies, and protests and turned to social media to advocate for more gun control. &nbsp;They are supported by others in their community and beyond—young people and adult allies, including parents and educators.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><img alt="Gun reform student protest in DC" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="94de2b1b-04d5-4c4e-b7d1-7f40355e5983" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/DC%20student%20protesters%20by%20Lorie%20Shaull.jpg" width="2295" height="1530" loading="lazy"></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <em>White House protest by Teens for Gun Reform, by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/number7cloud/40369207261/in/photolist-24vhJSR-h9Zx49-h9YU2n-gTUJX8-rT5VGJ-h9YP4M-ha1TW6-23qrQME-EuVsu2-ha1LE2-rQpEap-h9Ze7W-qze7Uy-EVRvT4-3aRJdN-h9Zm7t-EuVrnc-3ay622-gSpiej-gSp7Re-ha1v9T-ha1QMn-23qtq5j-bAXHKT-qtmqy5-gSoX7f-22NA5EQ-nxHCtM-8JVvBf-gSoZ8E-h9Z1YZ-pE8FPH-h9YVwL-3aLjxv-pkBjBY-h9YPLC-EQZnpV-24sD4Rw-c6gZNf-GgbHQw-gTUFeN-ha1xNF-pkBgqs-ha1t3i-3aRr4d-3aLNbi-pnn6PV-24wgNye-4tmCgd-3aLTda">Lorie Shaull</a>.&nbsp;</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> <span><span><span>Student Voices</span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span>Show the following video:</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000005743406/florida-school-shooting-victims-gun-control.html?action=click&amp;gtype=vhs&amp;version=vhs-heading&amp;module=vhs&amp;region=title-area"><span>https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000005743406/florida-school-shooting-victims-gun-control.html?action=click&amp;gtype=vhs&amp;version=vhs-heading&amp;module=vhs&amp;region=title-area</span></a></span></span></p> <p>And/or invite some volunteers to read some or all of the Florida student voices quoted below out loud.&nbsp;(The voices are included in Part 1 of <strong><a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Student%20Voices%20%26%20Student%20Action%20.pdf">this pdf handout</a></strong>.)</p> <p><br> <span><span><strong><span><span>David Hogg (17): </span></span></strong><span><span>&nbsp;"I don't want this to be another mass shooting. I want this to be the last mass shooting. Everybody is getting used to this, and that's not okay .... what happens when you do that is children are dying and they will continue to die unless we stop it, stand up, and take action.&nbsp; … "We need action from our elected officials and we need action from the civil public because without that, this is going to happen again."&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/02/17/because-nothing-has-changed-columbine-students-teachers-call-nationwide-school"><span>https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/02/17/because-nothing-has-changed-columbine-students-teachers-call-nationwide-school</span></a> </span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span><span>Delaney Tarr (17):</span></span></span></strong><span><span><span> “I’ve had enough of thoughts and prayers, the hashtags, all of it. </span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span>We need to make actual change. There’s only so many words that can be said before things move on, before the press gets tired of seeing us on the news, before people just change the channel. This will not be forgotten. &nbsp;We will not be silenced. We are going to make a change.”&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/anger-bubbles-funerals-florida-shooting-victims-53157231"><span><span>http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/anger-bubbles-funerals-florida-shooting-victims-53157231</span></span></a></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span>Carly Novell (17):</span></span></span></strong><span><span><span>&nbsp; “I think it’s great that they’re saying ‘thoughts and prayers,’ but it doesn’t do anything. And after every single shooting that’s what they say over and over again, but nothing ever changes.&nbsp; It has to be political because this happened because of guns, this happened because of the relaxed gun laws that we have.”&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://time.com/5162780/students-florida-school-shooting-loudest-voices/"><span><span>http://time.com/5162780/students-florida-school-shooting-loudest-voices/</span></span></a> </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span><span><span>Sam Zeif (18):</span></span></span></span></strong><span><span><span><span> “I lost a friend, he doesn’t have a voice anymore. So I need to make sure that I use mine to make sure he didn’t die for nothing. He died for change.”&nbsp; </span></span></span></span><a href="http://time.com/5162780/students-florida-school-shooting-loudest-voices/"><span><span><span>http://time.com/5162780/students-florida-school-shooting-loudest-voices/</span></span></span></a> </span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span>Sabrina Yuen (senior):</span></span></span></strong><span><span><span> “I’m not trying to put a positive spin on the fact that this town just took 17 bullets to the heart, but I’ve never seen this many people stop sending thoughts and prayers and start saying we’re going to show people in the midterm elections… it’s enough and people know it’s enough.” </span></span></span><a href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/broward-school-shooting-student-hid-under-teacher-desk-gunman-fired-into-room/ok9J8Z2pPybeMf6B9lW0mI/"><span><span>http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/broward-school-shooting-student-hid-under-teacher-desk-gunman-fired-into-room/ok9J8Z2pPybeMf6B9lW0mI/</span></span></a> </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span><span>Emma Gonzalez (Senior):</span></span></span></strong><span><span><span> “We are going to be the kids you read about in textbooks. Not because we're going to be another statistic about mass shooting in America, but because … we are going to be the last mass shooting. … we are going to change the law.” &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/17/us/florida-student-emma-gonzalez-speech/index.html"><span><span>https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/17/us/florida-student-emma-gonzalez-speech/index.html</span></span></a> </span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span><span>Amy Campbell-Oates (16):</span></span></span></strong><span><span><span> “We agreed that our politicians have to do more than say thoughts and prayers. We want voters to know that midterms are coming up. Some of us can’t vote yet but we want to get to the people that can to vote in common sense laws, ban assault rifles and require mental health checks before gun purchases.” </span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/columbine-mass-shootings.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/columbine-mass-shootings.html</a><span><span> </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4><span><span><span>Pair Share</span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span>Ask students to turn to a partner to discuss their thoughts and feelings about what students in Florida are saying about the shooting and what they are calling for in response.</span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><strong><span>Whole Group Discussion</span></strong></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Bring students back to the large group to share out what they discussed in their pairs.&nbsp; Continue the dialogue by asking some or all of the following questions:</span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span><span><span>How do you think these students are feeling?&nbsp; </span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span>What are they doing with their feelings?</span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span>What is their goal?</span></span></span></li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p><br> <span><span><strong><span>Turning Despair, Grief and Anger Into Action </span></strong></span></span></p> <p><br> <span><span><span>Toward the end of the New York Times video (above) Carly Novel, a 12th grade student from </span><span><span>Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School</span></span><span> says,&nbsp; “I am upset, but I’m like using that to talk about gun control and to talk about what happened.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Invite students to either read out loud the following quotes or read them quietly by themselves.</span></span></span>&nbsp;(These are included in <strong><a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Student%20Voices%20%26%20Student%20Action%20.pdf">Part 2 of this pdf</a></strong>.)</p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span><span>Sophie Whitney (18) </span></span></span></strong><span><span><span>said on NPR: "Of course we're all heartbroken, but we can't let the 17 people die for nothing. We have to make something good out of their death."&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/02/18/586958556/student-activists-who-lived-through-florida-shooting-plan-march-on-washington"><span><span>https://www.npr.org/2018/02/18/586958556/student-activists-who-lived-through-florida-shooting-plan-march-on-washington</span></span></a> </span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span>Emma Gonzalez (Junior)</span></span></strong><span><span> “addressed a gun control rally in Ft. Lauderdale the Saturday after the shooting:&nbsp; </span></span><span><span>“Every single person up here today, all these people should be home grieving. But instead we are up here standing together because if all our government and President can do is send thoughts and prayers, then it's time for victims to be the change that we need to see.”&nbsp; </span></span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/17/us/florida-student-emma-gonzalez-speech/index.html"><span><span>https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/17/us/florida-student-emma-gonzalez-speech/index.html</span></span></a> </span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><strong><span>Ariana Ali</span></strong><span> has turned her anger into activism. "It could have been avoided.&nbsp; … Me and my friends are organizing a gun-violence protest in the city of Parkland right now."&nbsp; The group of friends have also called Parkland's mayor, launched a hashtag — #NeverAgain — and gotten in touch with state legislators. "We are going to go to Tallahassee to talk about what we've seen," Ali said.&nbsp; </span><a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-florida-students-20180216-story.html"><span>http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-florida-students-20180216-story.html</span></a> </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span>Cameron Kasky (17)</span></span></strong><span><span> “is angry. He's angry because when he goes back to school, 17 people won't be there, 17 people who were killed in a mass shooting in Florida on Wednesday. He told NPR: “Unfortunately it took it hitting me right at home for me to want to do something about it, and I'm not going to stop.&nbsp; … our lawmakers Rick Scott and Marco Rubio … have the blood of 17 people on their hands, and we are not apologizing for telling them that they're gone. ….&nbsp; It's time to put lawmakers in positions who are not taking money from the NRA and are not fostering and promoting this gun culture that's allowing things like this to happen …. “ </span></span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/02/16/586616026/students-who-survived-florida-shooting-want-politicians-to-know-theyre-angry"><span><span>https://www.npr.org/2018/02/16/586616026/students-who-survived-florida-shooting-want-politicians-to-know-theyre-angry</span></span></a> </span></span></p> <p><strong>Emilie Smith (18),&nbsp;</strong>a senior at a school 10 minutes from&nbsp;Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, said in an interview as she and a friend were on their way to donate blood:&nbsp;"I've seen these shootings happen my whole life. I've grown up with them. I remember Sandy Hook. I remember every single one. ... Every time, about a week or more later, I don't see any more trending tweets, I don't see anyone talking about it. It's devastating."&nbsp; But now — with students' protests and criticism of public officials — "it's almost like the kids are trying to step in for the adults," .... "I don't think children should have to bear that."&nbsp; Smith is 18 now, and she said her dad is going to take her to register to vote. Her friends are all turning 18 soon, too. "The next chance I get to vote in this state, I'm definitely going to do that," Smith said. "We're definitely all going to vote."&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-florida-students-20180216-story.html">http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-florida-students-20180216-story.html</a></p> <p><span><span><strong><span>Emma Gonzalez (Junior)</span></strong><span> later added:&nbsp; “A lot of people are saying that these kids are activists, these kids need to be politicians, …. But a lot of us are just …<span> students who figured there's strength in numbers. And we want to be sure that we end up having our message sent across. And then we can get back to our normal everyday lives, you know."&nbsp; </span></span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/fbi-says-it-failed-to-investigate-tip-on-florida-suspect/2018/02/16/31546702-1378-11e8-a68c-e9374188170e_story.html?utm_term=.f1a8b2666fd2"><span><span>https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/fbi-says-it-failed-to-investigate-tip-on-florida-suspect/2018/02/16/31546702-1378-11e8-a68c-e9374188170e_story.html?utm_term=.f1a8b2666fd2</span></span></a> </span></span></p> <p><br> <span><span><span>Having read the quotes ask students to discuss them using some or all of the following questions:</span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span><span><span>What are the feelings expressed in these quotes?</span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span>What are students doing with their feelings?</span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span>What are your thoughts and feelings about that?</span></span></span></li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>&nbsp;</h4> <h4><span><span><strong><span>Stand Under: Action for Change</span></strong></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span>Post <strong><a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/7%20Student%20Action%20Signs.pdf">these signs</a></strong> around the room. (The text for each sign is below.) &nbsp;Each sign is a different kind of action that students in Parkland, Florida (and beyond) have taken to advocate for gun control.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><br> <span><span><strong><span><span><span><span>1. Social Media Campaigns &nbsp;</span></span></span></span></strong></span></span><br> <span><span><em><span><span><span>A social media campaign is a</span></span></span></em><em><span><span><span> coordinated effort using one or more&nbsp;social media&nbsp;platforms to promote ideas.</span></span></span></em></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span><span>2. Traditional media outreach </span></span></span></span></strong></span></span></span><br> <span><span><em><span><span>Media outreach is</span></span></em><em><span><span> about drawing media attention to the ideas the students in Parkland want to promote in the traditional print and broadcast media. </span></span></em></span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span><span>3. Walkouts</span></span></span></strong></span></span><br> <span><span><span><em><span><span><span>A walkout is the act of leaving </span></span></span></em><em><span><span>a place (often a workplace) in protest or to strike.&nbsp; A strike is an organized refusal to work, typically in an attempt to gain concessions of some sort.</span></span></em></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span>4. Lobbying</span></span></strong></span></span><br> <span><span><em><span><span><span>Lobbying means to seek to influence someone (often a public official) on an issue.</span></span></span></em></span></span></p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span>5. Marches &amp; Rallies</span></span></strong></span></span><br> <span><span><em><span><span>A march is an act or instance of marching as a protest or demonstration.</span></span></em></span></span><br> <span><span><span><em><span><span><span><span>A rally is </span></span></span></span></em><em><span><span><span><span>a mass meeting of people protesting or showing support for a cause.</span></span></span></span></em></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span><span>6. Getting Out the Vote</span></span></span></span></strong></span></span></span><br> <span><span><em><span><span><span>Getting out the vote describes efforts aimed at increasing the voter turnout in elections. </span></span></span></em></span></span></p> <p><strong><span><span><span><span><span>7. Boycotts &amp; Divestments</span></span></span></span></span></strong><br> <em>A boycott is a concerted refusal to have dealings with (a country, a state, a person, a store, an organization, etc.), usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions.&nbsp;</em></p> <p><br> <span><span><span><span>Split your class into six smaller groups. Invite group 1, to stand by sign 1, group 2 to stand by sign 2, group 3 by sign 3 and so on.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>When students are standing by their sign, provide them with the handout accompanying each sign.&nbsp; (All 7&nbsp;handouts are <strong><a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Handouts%201-8_0.pdf">here</a></strong>, and also included below. Also included is an eighth handout, which&nbsp;is to accompany&nbsp;an extension activity.) After students have read their handout, invite them to answer the following questions in their small groups:&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span><span><span><span>What are your thoughts and feelings about the various examples of action(s) taken by Parkland students?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What other examples of this action have you heard about since the shooting in Parkland?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What kind of impact do you think this kind of action has?&nbsp; On whom?&nbsp; Why?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>Who needs to be involved for this action to have the biggest impact? </span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>How can that impact of this action be amplified?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What skills are needed for this action to be successful?</span></span></span></span></li> </ul> <p><br> <span><span><span><span>Next, invite students to leave their handout by their sign, then move clockwise around the room to the next sign. There again, they’ll read the sign’s accompanying handout before discussing the same set of questions.&nbsp;If time allows, invite students to move clockwise around the room to the next sign one or two more times, read the handout and discuss the questions before bringing the groups back as a whole class. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Back in the large group, invite students to share some of the thoughts and feelings that were discussed in their small groups, but more than that, what did they learn about the students in Parkland and beyond and what they’re doing with their grief and anger.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span><span><span><span>Why is this concerted effort so important now?&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What would happen if students took time to grieve and process their feelings first, and then decide to take action a month or year from now?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>Why not focus on just one of the actions in the “Stand Under” activity?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What have students seen happen with other mass shootings?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>Does it matter who the messenger is?&nbsp; Why?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>Does it matter what the message is?&nbsp; Why?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>Does it matter how the message is conveyed?&nbsp; Why?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>How does ally-ship fit into this?&nbsp; (see activity below)</span></span></span></span></li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><strong><span><span>Extension Activity: Exploring Ally-ship </span></span></strong></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Invite students by themselves to read <a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Handouts%201-8_0.pdf">Handout #8</a>&nbsp;(Ally-ship: Ripples Across the Nation).&nbsp; In pairs have them discuss:</span></span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span><span><span><span>What are your thoughts and feelings about this reading?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>What else have you heard about student&nbsp;activism in Parkland and beyond, since the shooting on Valentines Day?</span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>How do you feel about the actions Parkland students have used so far?&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span>How can ally-ship support the efforts of students so far? </span></span></span></span></li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>&nbsp;</h4> <h4><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Closing</span></span></strong></span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Choose one of these options:</span></span></span></span></span></p> <ul> <li>Ask students to share: What is one thing you might want to say to the Parkland students based on today's lesson?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Ask students to share:&nbsp;What did you learn about the actions of students in Parkland, FL, and their impact to date?&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Ask students to share their thoughts and feelings about this statement by Martin Luther King, Jr.:<br> “As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation — either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.”<br> <br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Handouts%201-8_0.pdf"><em>Also see this pdf version of the 8&nbsp;handouts below.&nbsp;</em></a></p> <h4><span><span><a><strong><span><span><span><span>Handout 1:</span></span></span></span></strong></a></span></span><br> <span><span><strong><span><span><span><span>Social Media Campaigns &nbsp;</span></span></span></span></strong></span></span><br> &nbsp;</h4> <p><span><span><span><span><span>“Shortly after the shooting, Cameron Kasky, a junior at the school, and a few friends started a&nbsp;</span></span></span><span><span>“Never Again”&nbsp;<span>campaign on Facebook that shared stories and perspectives from other students who survived the rampage.” </span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/columbine-mass-shootings.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/columbine-mass-shootings.html</a><span><span> </span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>At 3 p.m. Friday afternoon, for example, thousands of students tweeted the hashtag&nbsp;</span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NeverAgain?src=hash"><span><span>#neveragain</span></span></a><span><span>&nbsp;i<span>n an attempt to galvanize a nation-wide conversation about gun control.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article200647674.html">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article200647674.html</a><span><span> </span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Cameron Kasky … said the group's aim is to "create a new normal where there's a badge of shame" on politicians accepting donations from gun lobbyists.&nbsp; "My message for the people in office is: You're either with us or against us. We are losing our lives while the adults are playing around," he told CNN.&nbsp; The group is encouraging other students around the country to join with them and protest - a movement that is already happening online.&nbsp; </span></span><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43105699"><span>http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43105699</span></a> </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Brendan Duff is a college student who went to school at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He's come home to help manage the new movement's digital campaign. He says the response has been overwhelming, with hundreds of messages per minute pouring in. "People all over the country want to help. Social media is honestly the best way to reach not only everyone in this country I think, but definitely this generation," Duff says. </span></span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/02/18/586958556/student-activists-who-lived-through-florida-shooting-plan-march-on-washington"><span>https://www.npr.org/2018/02/18/586958556/student-activists-who-lived-through-florida-shooting-plan-march-on-washington</span></a> </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>“These online outcries are already crystallizing into real-world organization. A new Twitter account called&nbsp;</span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/studentswalkout"><span><span><span>@Studentswalkout</span></span></span></a><span><span><span>&nbsp;has posted about a nationwide student protest sometime next week.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article200647674.html">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article200647674.html</a><span><span> </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> <span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Handout 2:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Traditional </span>media outreach </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h4> <p><br> <span><span><span><span>At a picnic table in this city park a short drive from their school, the kids have set up a kind of media center. They're fielding calls from news outlets all over the country and also from community organizers who want to help by donating or volunteering. This kind of activism feels really different, compared with past mass shootings.&nbsp; The kids here say in part it's because the victims are old enough to have a voice. "After what happened in Newtown, those kids were too young to speak out against what happened and to really even maybe even understand what happened," says Chris Grady, age 18, also a senior and a survivor.&nbsp; </span></span><span><span><span>"We want to be the voices not only for them but for any student or teacher affected by acts of cowardice like this," he adds.</span></span></span></span></span><br> <span><span><span><span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/02/18/586958556/student-activists-who-lived-through-florida-shooting-plan-march-on-washington"><span>https://www.npr.org/2018/02/18/586958556/student-activists-who-lived-through-florida-shooting-plan-march-on-washington</span></a> </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>[On NBC’s Meet the Press] students who escaped the deadly school shooting in Florida focused their anger … at President Donald Trump, contending that his response to the attack has been needlessly divisive.&nbsp; “You’re the president. You’re supposed to bring this nation together, not divide us,” said David Hogg, a 17-year-old student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida … </span></span></span></span><br> <span><span><span><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/parkland-school-shooting-trump-emma-gonzalez"><span>https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/parkland-school-shooting-trump-emma-gonzalez</span></a> </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>[On Face the Nation] </span></span><span><span>Marjory Stoneman Douglas students David Hogg, Alex Wind, Emma Gonzalez, and Cameron Kasky discuss what lawmakers need to do to prevent another tragedy like the one in Parkland, Florida this week.&nbsp; </span></span><a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/02/18/face_the_nation_panel_florida_high_school_students_push_neveragain_gun_control_movement.html"><span>https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/02/18/face_the_nation_panel_florida_high_school_students_push_neveragain_gun_control_movement.html</span></a> </span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>A student who survived the mass shooting at a Florida high school this week called for Americans to take action on gun control in an op-ed Friday.&nbsp; Cameron Kasky, a 17-year-old junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, wrote in an&nbsp;</span></span></span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/15/opinions/florida-shooting-no-more-opinion-kasky/index.html"><span><span><span>op-ed for CNN</span></span></span></a><span><span><span>&nbsp;that he and his brother were trapped in the school during the shooting. “Though we made it home, 17 people didn't. Those 17 people were murdered on the grounds of a school that has always felt like the safest place to be in a town that's been&nbsp;called the safest town in Florida,” Kasky wrote.&nbsp; The teenager called for Americans “to take action now,” after the shooting.&nbsp; “Why? Because at the end of the day, the students at my school felt one shared experience — our politicians abandoned us by failing to keep guns out of schools,” he wrote.&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/374177-florida-shooting-survivor-calls-for-action-on-guns-in-op-ed-we"><span><span>http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/374177-florida-shooting-survivor-calls-for-action-on-guns-in-op-ed-we</span></span></a></span></span></span><br> &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> <span><span><span><span><span><span>Handout 3: </span></span></span></span><br> <span><span><span>Walkouts</span></span></span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span><span>“These online outcries are already crystallizing into real-world organization. A new Twitter account called&nbsp;</span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/studentswalkout"><span><span><span>@Studentswalkout</span></span></span></a><span><span><span>&nbsp;has posted about a nationwide student protest sometime next week. </span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article200647674.html">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article200647674.html</a><span><span> </span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The Women's March youth branch, students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — the site of the Valentine's Day attack in Parkland that killed 17 people — and a Connecticut student who lives a short drive from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown,&nbsp;where 26 people were killed in 2012, are all working to take hold of the national conversation with a series of events. </span></span></span></span><span><span>It will begin with the Women's March EMPOWER branch, which is dedicated to youth-led advocacy. The group has called for "students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies" to take part in a national school walkout on March 14.&nbsp; The goal is for students and staff across the country to walk out of their classrooms for 17 minutes at 10 a.m. "to protest Congress' inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods," </span></span><span>the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/empower/"><span><span><span>organization said in a statement</span></span></span></a><span>.&nbsp; </span><br> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/students-seize-control-gun-debate-plan-walkouts-march-n849226"><span>https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/students-seize-control-gun-debate-plan-walkouts-march-n849226</span></a> </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“I felt like it was our time to take a stand,” said Lane Murdock, 15, of Connecticut. “We’re the ones in these schools, we’re the ones who are having shooters come into our classrooms and our spaces.”&nbsp; Murdock, who lives 20 miles (32 km) from Sandy Hook Elementary School where 20 children and six adults were shot to death five years ago, drew more than 50,000 signatures on an online petition on Sunday calling on students to walk out of their high schools on April 20.&nbsp; Instead of going to classes, she urged her fellow students to stage protests on the 19th anniversary of an earlier mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado.&nbsp;</span></span><br> <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-shooting-students/students-plan-protests-washington-march-to-demand-gun-control-after-mass-shooting-idUSKCN1G20S8"><span>https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-shooting-students/students-plan-protests-washington-march-to-demand-gun-control-after-mass-shooting-idUSKCN1G20S8</span></a> </span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> <span><span><strong><span><span><span><span>Handout 4:</span></span></span></span></strong><br> <strong><span><span><span>Lobbying</span></span></span></strong></span></span><br> &nbsp;</h4> <p><img alt="Tweet " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7412ab23-4c47-4209-ab1e-c6727615ff26" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/handout%204%20tweet.jpg" width="498" height="241" loading="lazy"></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Florida lawmakers will experience the Parkland students' political motivation firsthand when they arrive at the state Capitol on Wednesday to speak to members of the Legislature.&nbsp; Ryan Deitsch, 18, a senior planning to make the six-hour trip, says organizers have arranged buses to transport about 100 people, students and chaperones, to the capital. They'll travel Tuesday night and plan to address senators Wednesday morning and representatives that afternoon. The plan is to split up into teams of three to five students and visit with legislators individually, he said.&nbsp; Deitsch concedes that while the students are educated, they're still high schoolers, so listening to the legislators will be an important component of the meetings. The students don't have all the answers, he said, so it's important for them to understand what lawmakers feel is actually feasible, in terms of solutions.&nbsp; </span></span><br> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/18/us/florida-school-shooting-updates/index.html"><span>https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/18/us/florida-school-shooting-updates/index.html</span></a> </span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>“[Emma] Gonzalez added that the student activists from Parkland want to have conversations about guns with President&nbsp;<span>Donald Trump</span>, Sen.&nbsp;<span>Marco Rubio</span>, R-Fla., and Gov.&nbsp;<span>Rick Scott</span>, also a Republican. “We want to give them the opportunity to be on the right side of this….”&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-teen-shooting-survivors-announce-march-washington-demand/story?id=53178265"><span><span>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-teen-shooting-survivors-announce-march-washington-demand/story?id=53178265</span></span></a> </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“A week after 17 people were killed at a Parkland, Fla., high school, President Trump hosted survivors, parents and teachers from that and other recent school shooting tragedies for an emotional, nearly 90-minute listening session at the White House Wednesday.&nbsp; Trump, Vice President Pence and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos asked for feedback on how to prevent future school shootings and increase safety at the nation's schools. Suggestions were varied, ranging from ways to provide more and better security at schools, taking action about the role that mental health plays in school shootings, raising the age to purchase rifles and strengthening background checks.”&nbsp; </span></span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/02/21/587775635/trump-backs-arming-teachers-during-emotional-white-house-listening-session"><span>https://www.npr.org/2018/02/21/587775635/trump-backs-arming-teachers-during-emotional-white-house-listening-session</span></a> </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>She can’t vote, but maybe politicians should be listening — given her growing social media audience. A sixteen-year-old survivor of the Parkland school shooting has taken to Twitter to demand more from politicians than just “thoughts and prayers.”&nbsp; </span></span><span><span><span>The Twitter user @Sarahchad, who identifies herself as a student at Stoneman Douglas, tweeted directly to President Trump on Friday, inviting him to speak with her about gun control in person.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article200647674.html">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article200647674.html</a><span><span> </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> <span><span><span><span><span><span>Handout 5:</span></span></span></span><br> <span><span><span>Marches &amp; Rallies</span></span></span></span></span></h4> <p><br> <span><span><span><span><span>We’ve had enough.</span></span><span><span>&nbsp;Thoughts and prayers are not enough to honor the victims of gun violence. What we need now is action.&nbsp; On March 24, 2018, students will rally in Washington D.C and in local communities across the country to demand action from our leaders. Join us in the March For Our Lives, as we fight for an America that is free from gun violence.&nbsp; </span></span><br> <a href="http://act.everytown.org/sign/march-for-our-lives"><span>http://act.everytown.org/sign/march-for-our-lives</span></a> </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>March 24th in every single city. We are going to be marching together as students begging for our lives. This isn’t about the GOP, this isn’t about the Democrats, this is about the adults.&nbsp; We feel neglected and at this point, you’re either with us or against us. …. At this point any politician on either side, who’s taking money from the NRA is responsible for events like this. And one of the things we’re trying to do here is … create a new normal where there’s a badge of shame on any politician who’s … accepting money from the NRA no matter where they are.&nbsp; Because at the end of the day the NRA is fostering and promoting this gun culture in which people like Nikolas Cruz can gun down 17 innocent lives in our school.”&nbsp; </span></span><br> <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-teen-shooting-survivors-announce-march-washington-demand/story?id=53178265"><span>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-teen-shooting-survivors-announce-march-washington-demand/story?id=53178265</span></a> </span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Teen survivors of the shooting massacre at a Florida high school this week were among the speakers at a rally for firearm-safety legislation that drew a passionate, sign-waving crowd of hundreds of gun control supporters [outside the courthouse] in Fort Lauderdale.&nbsp; Emma Gonzalez, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 students and staff were killed Wednesday, wiped tears as she urged the audience at the Saturday rally to fight for firearms restrictions to help prevent further mass shootings. … like other students who spoke at the rally said the time for talk is over and now elected officials must take action or the public will.&nbsp; “If all our government and president can do is send thoughts and prayers then it’s time for victims to be the change we need to be,” Gonzalez said. </span></span></span><br> <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-shooting-survivor-tells-passionate-crowd-rally-time/story?id=53167818"><span><span>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-shooting-survivor-tells-passionate-crowd-rally-time/story?id=53167818</span></span></a></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> <span><span><span><strong><span><span><span><span><span>Handout 6: </span></span></span></span></span></strong><br> <strong><span><span><span><span>Getting Out the Vote</span></span></span></span></strong></span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Delaney Tarr will turn 18 in July, old enough to vote in the 2018 midterms. “I’m so ready to vote,” she said, “and people keep saying that ‘you guys need to go out there and vote,’ but most of us that are speaking are not&nbsp;<em>legally</em>&nbsp;old enough to vote.”&nbsp; </span></span><a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/20/17031050/florida-shooting-parkland-advocacy-gun-control-delaney-tarr"><span>https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/20/17031050/florida-shooting-parkland-advocacy-gun-control-delaney-tarr</span></a>&nbsp; </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“We are just waiting for that moment that we can,” she added.</span></span></span>&nbsp;<br> <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/20/17031050/florida-shooting-parkland-advocacy-gun-control-delaney-tarr"><span><span>https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/20/17031050/florida-shooting-parkland-advocacy-gun-control-delaney-tarr</span></span></a></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>[Lane] Murdock lives just 20 minutes from Sandy Hook Elementary School.&nbsp; Murdock wants to give teens, who she says aren't represented because they can't vote, a voice and a platform. "We want this day to be a visual and vocal representation of the teen population's desire to speak," she said. "At the end of the day, we're the ones who are being hurt in our schools."&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span><br> <span><span><span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/students-seize-control-gun-debate-plan-walkouts-march-n849226"><span><span>https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/students-seize-control-gun-debate-plan-walkouts-march-n849226</span></span></a> &nbsp;</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Another student from the high school, David Hogg, urged the crowd: “Get out there and vote.”&nbsp; Even beyond voting, Hogg said, "Run for office.' </span></span><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-shooting-survivor-tells-passionate-crowd-rally-time/story?id=53167818"><span><span>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-shooting-survivor-tells-passionate-crowd-rally-time/story?id=53167818</span></span></a></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Another student tells NPR this campaign isn't just focused on rallies and social media. It's also about the midterm election. A lot of high school kids are 18 years old or will turn 18 before the November election.&nbsp; "Our kids are dying and no one is doing anything about it," she says. "Everyone's going to vote."&nbsp; </span></span><br> <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/02/18/586958556/student-activists-who-lived-through-florida-shooting-plan-march-on-washington"><span>https://www.npr.org/2018/02/18/586958556/student-activists-who-lived-through-florida-shooting-plan-march-on-washington</span></a> </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>“Participants are also coming together to&nbsp;</span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenCohn/status/966298804927508481"><span><span>register voters</span></span></a><span><span>&nbsp;<span>at various marches, to ensure that outrage today will translate to high turnout during November’s midterm elections.”&nbsp; </span></span></span><br> <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2018/02/march-for-our-lives-for-gun-control-will-be-on-march-24.html"><span><span>https://www.thecut.com/2018/02/march-for-our-lives-for-gun-control-will-be-on-march-24.html</span></span></a> </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">HANDOUT 7:</span></b></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">BOYCOTTS &amp; DIVESTMENTS</span></b></span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">On Saturday, [Douglas student David Hogg] … took to social media to ask tourists to boycott the state of Florida as a spring break destination unless state legislators make a more concerted effort on gun control legislation. “Let’s make a deal DO NOT come to Florida for spring break unless gun legislation is passed,” Hogg wrote … on Twitter, adding that maybe politicians will “listen to the billion dollar tourism industry in FL.” In a follow-up tweet six hours later, Hogg suggested that people travel to Puerto Rico instead and help bolster the island’s economy as it continues to recover from Hurricane Maria. “It’s a beautiful place with amazing people,” Hogg wrote. “They could really use the economic support that the government has failed to provide.”&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article202014214.html">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article202014214.html</a></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">David Hogg …, continued to call out companies that offer special deals to NRA members through Friday afternoon, asking Twitter users to join a social media campaign against partnering companies with the hashtag #BoycottNRA. On his Twitter account, David highlighted corporations that incentivize NRA membership with discounts.&nbsp; </span><a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/parkland-survivors-nra-boycott-brands-finally-cutting-ties" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">https://www.teenvogue.com/story/parkland-survivors-nra-boycott-brands-finally-cutting-ties</span></a> </span></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><img alt="Tweet 1" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e99b43a3-072c-4d7d-8004-282d77b55a73" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/handout%207%20tweet%201.jpg" width="496" height="154" loading="lazy"></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><img alt="Tweet 2" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d572d7be-65b6-4e8e-9423-149bb46809f2" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/handout%207%20tweet%202.jpg" width="495" height="178" loading="lazy"></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">One by One, Companies Cut Ties with the NRA.</span></b><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">&nbsp; As a groundswell grows against the National Rifle Association in the aftermath of last week's school massacre in Parkland, Fla., several businesses say they are ending their partnerships with the gun advocacy group.&nbsp; The brands — ranging from insurance companies to airlines to rental car agencies — announced their decisions on social media, many apparently in direct response to tweets demanding change under the trending hashtag #boycottNRA.&nbsp; Activists are seeking to name and shame business affiliates of the group.&nbsp; </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/23/588233273/one-by-one-companies-cut-ties-with-nra" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif">https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/23/588233273/one-by-one-companies-cut-ties-with-nra</span></a> </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in">&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt; margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in">&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><strong>EXTENSION ACTIVITY (Handout 8) </strong></span></span></p> <h4><span><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span><span>Ally-ship:&nbsp; ripples across the nation</span></span></span></span></strong></span></span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><em><span><span><span>Ally-ship: Taking on the struggle as your own.</span></span></span></em></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>At rallies across the country, students made pleas for gun control and declared that while they might not be old enough to vote, they were old enough to change society.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>Here are excerpts from news stories about the students'&nbsp;actions.&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li><span><span><span><span><span><span>A crowd of students stood on the steps of the squat, red-brick public library in Toms River, N.J., on Monday, a school holiday, to&nbsp;express their solidarity&nbsp;with the fallen Parkland students and teachers.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span><span><span>In&nbsp;Chicago, students from the South Side, where gun violence has been a problem, began organizing to demand gun control legislation.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span><span><span>In Battle Creek, Mich., dozens of students&nbsp;walked out of Harper Creek High School&nbsp;on Tuesday to protest gun violence in schools.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span><span><span>And in Bakersfield, Calif., about a dozen students and 80 adults joined a protest on Monday. “Listening to how worried my mother was dropping me off Friday morning after the shooting was one of the worst things I’ve had to listen to in a while,” Lucy Brown, a member of the Bakersfield High School Young Democrats Club who helped organize the protests, told&nbsp;bakersfield.com.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/us/gun-control-florida-shooting.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/us/gun-control-florida-shooting.html</a></li> </ul> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>A group of Washington, D.C., teenagers staged a “lie-in” outside the White House on Monday …. The students, with&nbsp;Teens for Gun Reform, took turns lying down for three minutes to symbolize “how quickly” the organization says suspected shooter Nikolas Cruz could have legally purchased the gun he allegedly&nbsp;used to kill 17 people&nbsp;at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School ….&nbsp; “We have organized this protest in solidarity with all of those who were affected by the horrific school shooting in Florida,” the organization, which was formed following&nbsp;last week’s massacre, said in a statement posted on its Facebook page. “We call on President Trump and leaders from both parties to finally act in the interest of America’s youth and end these tragic&nbsp;mass shootings.&nbsp; </span></span></span><br> <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/teenagers-stage-lie-outside-white-house-support-parkland-shooting-victims-190930758.html"><span><span>https://www.yahoo.com/news/teenagers-stage-lie-outside-white-house-support-parkland-shooting-victims-190930758.html</span></span></a> </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>The actor George Clooney and his wife, Amal, said Tuesday that they would&nbsp;</span></span></span><span><span>donate $500,000<span>&nbsp;to a nationwide protest against gun violence planned for next month by the Stoneman Douglas High students. The announcement inspired similar gifts from other big-name Hollywood figures, including the producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and his wife, Marilyn, Oprah Winfrey, and Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw.&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/us/gun-control-florida-shooting.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/us/gun-control-florida-shooting.html</a><span><span> </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><span><span><span>Parkland students are asking for allies to join the following marches and walkouts. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><strong>March 14, 2018: National School Walkout</strong><br> The Women’s March’s Youth EMPOWER group is planning a national school walkout on March 14, 2018,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/enough-national-school-walkout">according to the group’s website</a>. At 10 a.m. in every time zone,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1767175080245694/">organizers</a>&nbsp;are encouraging teachers, students, administrators, parents and allies to walk out for 17 minutes — one for every person killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.</p> <p><strong>March 24, 2018: March For Our Lives</strong><br> On March 24, 2018, student organizers, including those from Parkland, are planning March For Our Lives, a march in Washington, D.C. to call for school safety and gun control. “The mission and focus of March For Our Lives is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues,” according to their website. “No special interest group, no political agenda is more critical than timely passage of legislation to effectively address the gun violence issues that are rampant in our country.”</p> <p><strong>April 20, 2018: National High School Walkout</strong><br> A growing movement titled #NationalSchoolWalkout is being called for by Connecticut student Lane Murdock and others. Murdock lives 20 minutes away from Sandy Hook Elementary School,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/students-seize-control-gun-debate-plan-walkouts-march-n849226">according to NBC News.</a>&nbsp;In December 2012, 20 students and six staff members were gunned down at Sandy Hook.&nbsp; The plan calls for high school students to walk out on April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. No time has been specified yet. The plans are currently being housed on&nbsp;<a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/iDN0CrkpkVT35JJ1IQ-5Fs?domain=twitter.com">Twitter</a>&nbsp;along with a&nbsp;<a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/MqqzCv2w2Ls0DVV2uw4BNm?domain=change.org">Change.org petition page</a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2018-02-22T16:12:25-05:00" title="Thursday, February 22, 2018 - 16:12">February 22, 2018</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Thu, 22 Feb 2018 21:12:25 +0000 Laura McClure 1162 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Parent 'Table Talk': Gun Violence and Mass Shootings https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/parent-table-talk-gun-violence-and-mass-shootings <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Parent &#039;Table Talk&#039;: Gun Violence and Mass Shootings</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h4>NOTE TO PARENTS/FAMILY MEMBERS</h4> <p>Because the issue of gun violence and mass shootings is in the news so frequently, young people are talking about it, which makes it an important issue to discuss with them. However, it is a sensitive, scary and potentially painful topic. Prior to raising this issue with children, consider your own child's personality and needs and the extent to which the conversation will do more harm than good. Also reflect on whether the conversation will ease your child's fear and distress or add to that discomfort. For some children, it is better to be proactive and raise the topic without their prompting but for others, following their lead and their questions makes more sense.</p> <p>When you discuss this topic with children, here are some things to keep in mind:</p> <ol> <li>Be prepared yourself and in a good state of mind so you can be there for them emotionally and make sure you have set aside enough time to hear all their thoughts, questions and feelings.</li> <li>Provide concrete information about their school's safety/security procedures and reassure them that they are safe.</li> <li>Be careful when describing the perpetrator and do not stereotype and make assumptions about the person, especially around mental illness. Because one in four adults experience some kind of mental problems annually and many people have family members, colleagues and friends who are afflicted, it is important not to convey the message that mental illness causes violent acts. Efforts to profile mass shooters do not support mental illness as a root cause.</li> <li>Emphasize the helpers including those who took care of the victims, helped and showed concern and compassion and think together about something you can do to help.</li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>TOPIC SUMMARY</h4> <p>On December 2, 2015, two assailants opened fire at a center for people with disabilities in San Bernadino, California. Fourteen people were killed and 21 others were wounded, most of whom are county employees. The two armed suspects, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, a married couple, were killed in a battle with the police. This deadly mass shooting came on the heels of another tragic event on November 27 in which Robert Lewis Dear embarked upon a deadly shooting spree at a Planned Parenthood clinic; two people and a police officer were killed and nine others were wounded.</p> <p>On October 1, 2015, a mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon left nine students dead and another nine injured. The gunman, Christopher Harper-Mercer, killed himself after an exchange of gunfire with the police. As is often the case with these "mass shootings," it raises a lot of feelings that range from sadness and heartbreak to anger and frustration.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/us/obama-oregon-shooting-umpqua-community-college-gun-control.html">President Obama</a>, who said that given the frequency of these types of shootings people had "become numb to this" also stated: "I'd ask the American people to think about how they can get our government to change these laws, and to save these lives and let these people grow up." It was an all too familiar sight.</p> <p>In 2012 after the mass shooting of twenty young children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, Obama quickly proposed legislation to overhaul gun laws which included universal background checks, new and expanded&nbsp;assault weapon&nbsp;and&nbsp;high-capacity magazine bans and other measures to prevent mass shootings. Several months later, it failed to pass the Senate.</p> <p>Understanding "mass shootings," (commonly defined as the murder of four or more people), school shootings and other gun-related deaths can be challenging.&nbsp; According to a&nbsp;<a href="http://journalistsresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/MassShootings_CongResServ.pdf">Congressional Research Service</a>&nbsp;in 2013, there had been 78 mass murders carried out with guns during the thirty year period of 1982-2012. Because there is not one standard way to tally the number of mass school shootings like the one in Oregon, in the period between&nbsp;2000 and 2013, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/september/fbi-releases-study-on-active-shooter-incidents/pdfs/a-study-of-active-shooter-incidents-in-the-u.s.-between-2000-and-2013">FBI identified</a>&nbsp;160 active shooter incidents, where one or more shooters "actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area." It used this definition to describe instances like Sandy Hook or the<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/us/16cnd-shooting.html?pagewanted=all">Virginia Tech</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;shooting in 2007.&nbsp;Since 2011, the rate of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/mass-shootings-becoming-more-frequent/">mass shootings</a>&nbsp;has tripled.</p> <p>Defenders of gun rights say that proposed gun regulations violate the Second Amendment, which says, "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." After the Newtown shooting, the president of the National Rifle Association, (NRA) a national nonprofit organization that advocates and lobbies for gun rights said, "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." Indeed, many people believe that guns prevent crime from happening.</p> <p>In addition to mass shootings, there are other disconcerting numbers about gun violence in the United States. More than 32,000 people per year are killed by guns—which translates to approximately 88 gun deaths per day—and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2015/08/26/americas-gun-violence-problem-in-three-charts/">compared to peer nations</a>&nbsp;(including Germany, England and Canada), people are much more likely to die from guns in the U.S. than in other countries.</p> <p>To understand more about public opinion on gun laws and gun rights, the following data from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.people-press.org/2015/08/13/continued-bipartisan-support-for-expanded-background-checks-on-gun-sales/">Pew Research Center</a>&nbsp;is useful:</p> <ul> <li>85% of Americans favor expanded background checks.</li> <li>79% favor laws to prevent people with mental illness from purchasing guns.</li> <li>70% support the creation of a federal database to track all gun sales.</li> <li>57% support a ban on assault-style weapons.</li> <li>50% say it is more important to control gun ownership than to protect the rights of gun owners.</li> <li>47% say it is more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns than to control gun ownership.</li> </ul> <p>When mass shootings occur, people frequently search for the reason and often "mental illness" is cited as the culprit. But it is much more complicated than that and it is difficult to come up with one reason and "risk factor." There are usually a multitude of reasons for these shootings including but not limited to: domestic terrorism, availability of guns, romanticism with violence, and multiple risk factors operating simultaneously (e.g. depression, narcissism, alienation, lack of trust, poor coping skills, fascination with violence-filled entertainment, revenge fantasies, attempted suicide attempts in the past, etc.).</p> <hr> <h4>AGE</h4> <p>13 and up</p> <hr> <h4>QUESTIONS TO START THE CONVERSATION</h4> <ul> <li>How do you feel about what you know and have heard about gun violence and mass shootings? What else do you want to know?</li> <li>Do you know people who have different opinions on gun violence? What do they say and how does this influence (or not) your point of view?</li> <li>What do you think should be done to keep people safe from gun violence?</li> <li>Why do you think so many people feel it is important to protect people's right to own guns?</li> <li>Why do you think there are so many more mass shootings than there used to be?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>QUESTIONS TO DIG DEEPER</h4> <p>(See the More Information section for articles and information that address these questions.)</p> <ul> <li>What can we do "to get our government to do something about gun violence" as President Obama urged after the recent school shooting in Oregon?</li> <li>How is the NRA successful in making their case that guns should not be regulated more than they already are?</li> <li>Why do you think that Congress wasn't able to pass the legislation to try to prevent mass shootings, especially after what happened at Sandy Hook elementary school?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>IDEAS FOR TAKING ACTION</h4> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Ask: What can we do to help?&nbsp; What actions might make a difference?&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Write a letter to your Congressperson (or to the school/town newspaper) that conveys your position about gun violence and urges them to take specific action.</li> <li>Educate others about this topic by sharing information on social media, having individual conversations or organizing an educational forum or debate in school.</li> <li>Join with or hold a fundraiser to support gun violence prevention advocacy organizations such as&nbsp;<a href="http://newtownaction.org/">Newtown Action Alliance</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bradycampaign.org/">Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence</a>,<a href="http://everytown.org/">Everytown for Gun Safety</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="http://csgv.org/">Coalition to Stop Gun Violence</a>.</li> </ul> <h4>MORE INFORMATION</h4> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/06/18/11-essential-facts-about-guns-and-mass-shootings-in-the-united-states/#1">11 essential facts about guns and mass shootings in the United States</a>&nbsp;(Washington Post)</li> <li><a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/g/gun_control/index.html">Guns and Gun Control</a>&nbsp;(New York Times Topics)</li> <li><a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/topics/gun-control/">Gun Control</a>&nbsp;(Pew Research Center)</li> <li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gun-control-overhaul-is-defeated-in-senate/2013/04/17/57eb028a-a77c-11e2-b029-8fb7e977ef71_story.html">Gun-control overhaul is defeated in Senate</a>&nbsp;(Washington Post)</li> <li><a href="http://www.adl.org/combating-hate/hate-crimes-law/c/resolution-on-addressing-gun-violence.html#.Vij1An6rTcs">Resolution On Addressing Gun Violence Prevention</a>&nbsp;(ADL)</li> <li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/police-chiefs-background-checks_562f7bc5e4b00aa54a4b19bc">U.S. Police Chiefs Call For Background Checks For All Gun Purchases</a>&nbsp;(Huffington Post)&nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <p><em>We are grateful to author Jinnie Spiegler and ADL for permission to present this&nbsp;<a href="http://www.adl.org/education-outreach/anti-bias-education/c/table-talk-family-conversations.html#" target="_blank">Table Talk</a>&nbsp;activity on TeachableMoment. &nbsp;</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2015-12-08T15:37:07-05:00" title="Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - 15:37">December 8, 2015</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Tue, 08 Dec 2015 20:37:07 +0000 fionta 423 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org After Newtown: National Rifle Association vs. Gun Control https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/after-newtown-national-rifle-association-vs-gun-control <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>After Newtown: National Rifle Association vs. Gun Control</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h4><strong>To The Teacher:&nbsp;</strong></h4> <p>On December 14, 2012, a 20-year-old named Adam Lanza walked into an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, armed with two semi-automatic pistols and an assault rifle. He then opened fire, killing 20 children and six adult staff members before turning a gun on himself. It was the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. The shooting has renewed public conversation about gun control in the United States.<br> &nbsp;<br> As is often the case following high-profile incidents of gun violence, gun control advocates have pushed for tighter limits on possession of deadly firearms. As always, they are facing strong resistance from the country's most powerful pro-gun organization, the National Rifle Association (NRA).<br> &nbsp;<br> This lesson will take a closer look at the NRA and its strategies for preventing the passage of gun control legislation. The lesson will be divided into two readings. The first reading takes a look at the NRA's history, its sources of funding, and its political influence. The second reading examines the NRA's response to the Newtown massacre, as well of criticisms of this response. Questions for student discussion follow each reading.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>Student Reading 1: </strong><br> <strong>The Political Power of the National Rifle Association </strong></h4> <p>&nbsp;<br> On December 14, 2012, a 20-year-old named Adam Lanza walked into an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, armed with two semi-automatic pistols and an assault rifle. He then opened fire, killing 20 children and six adult staff members before turning a gun on himself. It was the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.<br> &nbsp;<br> In the wake of the Newtown massacre there has been renewed public conversation about gun control in the United States. Proponents of gun control argue that the huge number of firearms (it is estimated that Americans own 200-300 million of them) and the ease with which they can be legally acquired are to blame for the increasing frequency of mass shootings such as the one in Newtown. The United States has the highest rate of gun ownership in the world, according to a 2007 <a href="http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/by-type/yearbook/small-arms-survey-2007.html">Small Arms Survey</a>, and 60 percent of U.S. homicides occur using a firearm. The U.S. has far more gun violence than Europe, Canada, India or Australia, though there are countries with higher rates of gun violence than the U.S.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Political leaders of various stripes—including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, President Obama, and many members of Congress—have begun publicly discussing the need for stricter gun control legislation in the U.S.<br> &nbsp;<br> As is often the case following high-profile incidents of gun violence, gun control advocates have pushed for tighter limits on possession of deadly firearms. As always, they have run into strong resistance from the country's most powerful pro-gun organization, the National Rifle Association (NRA).<br> &nbsp;<br> The NRA was founded in New York in 1871 to promote marksmanship. Over the years it has evolved into a pro-gun membership organization with more than 4 million members. In recent decades, the NRA has grown into a very effective political lobbying organization that spends a large amount of money to promote its agenda in Washington, DC. As the nonpartisan <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000082">Center for Responsive Politics</a> reported in 2011, "During the 2010 election cycle, the NRA spent more than $7.2 million on independent expenditures at the federal level." These expenditures included television advertisements and other messages for or against political candidates.</p> <p>The NRA's political efforts have yielded results. The organization has been effective at promoting laws that have significantly expanded gun ownership rights. Even in spite of recent high-profile incidents of gun violence like the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, the shooting of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida, the massacre at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, and the Newtown massacre,&nbsp; states have consistently been adopting more lax gun restrictions. As David Weigel of <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2012/12/14/the_only_recent_gun_laws_have_all_expanded_gun_rights.html"><em>Slate.com</em></a> wrote on December 14, 2012:<br> &nbsp;</p> <p class="rteindent1">[T]he recent trend in gun laws has been toward expansion. Dramatically so. The 2010 Republican wave allowed a series of stalled bills to sail through the states. In 2011, Kansas and Nevada made it legal to "purchase long guns in non-contiguous states," Wyoming passed a "permitless carry" law, Arizona, North Dakota and Kentucky made it easier for people who'd lost their gun rights due to "mental illness commitments" to get those rights restored. Maine, Texas, Indiana and North Dakota made it legal for gun owners to keep their weapons in their cars. Oklahoma and Alabama protected their citizens from "illegal gun raids."</p> <p>&nbsp;<br> In addition, many U.S. states have passed "Stand Your Ground" laws, which hold that an individual bears no responsibility to retreat to safety before resorting to the use of deadly force for self-defense. These laws became the center of controversy in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida in February of 2012. As the National Institute on Money in State Politics notes, between 2003 and 2010 the NRA gave $2.7 million dollars to the Florida lawmakers who were a driving force in the passage of this law. (<a href="http://fcir.org/2012/03/23/nras-behind-the-scenes-campaign-encouraged-stand-your-ground-adoption-across-the-country/">http://fcir.org/2012/03/23/nras-behind-the-scenes-campaign-encouraged-stand-your-ground-adoption-across-the-country/</a>)<br> &nbsp;<br> The "about us" section of the<a href="http://membership.nrahq.org/about-us.asp"> NRA's website</a> emphasizes the organization's reliance on membership activism:</p> <p class="rteindent1">While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of &nbsp; Second Amendment rights, the NRA has, since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world. But our successes would not be possible without the tireless efforts and countless hours of service our nearly four million members have given to champion Second Amendment rights and support NRA programs.</p> <p>Critics, however, charge that the NRA is less a grassroots movement than a group that serves the needs of the gun industry. As investigative journalist Lee Fang writes in a December 14, 2012 article at <a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/171776/does-nra-represent-gun-manufacturers-or-gun-owners#"><em>The</em> <em>Nation</em></a>:</p> <p class="rteindent1">Despite the grassroots façade, there is much evidence to suggest that corporations that profit from unregulated gun use are propping up the NRA's activities, much like how the tobacco lobby secretly funded "Smokers Rights'" fronts and libertarian anti-tax groups, or how polluters currently finance much of the climate change skepticism movement.</p> <p class="rteindent1">In a "special thanks" to their donors, the National Rifle Association Foundation lists Bushmaster Firearms Inc., the company that makes the assault rifle reportedly found with the shooter responsible for the mass murder today in Newtown, Connecticut. How much Bushmaster Firearms Inc. (a firm now known as Windham) contributes is left unsaid.<br> &nbsp;<br> The Violence Policy Center has estimated that since 2005, gun manufacturers have contributed up to $38.9 million to the NRA. Those numbers, however, are based on publicly listed "sponsorship" levels on NRA fundraising pamphlets. The real figures could be much bigger. Like Crossroads GPS or Americans for Prosperity, or the Sierra Club for that matter, the NRA does not disclose any donor information even though it spends millions on federal elections.</p> <p>If serious gun control laws are ever to be passed in the United States, advocates will have to overcome stiff resistance from the NRA and its powerful supporters.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>1.. Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered</p> <p>2. According to the reading, has gun control gotten more or less strict in recent years? What is an example of this trend?</p> <p>3. The NRA presents itself as a grassroots organization; however, critics believe it is a front for gun manufacturers. What do you think? Which position do you think is more plausible</p> <p>4. According to the reading, "the NRA does not disclose any donor information," despite its active involvement in politics. Do you think that the NRA and other lobbying groups should have to disclose their sources of funding? Why or why not?</p> <p>5. Why do you think that, despite high-profile incidents of gun violence, the NRA has been more successful in advocating for gun owners than supporters of gun control have been in promoting tighter restrictions? &nbsp;Can you think of actions or strategies that gun control advocates could try to change this?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><strong>Student Reading 2:&nbsp;</strong><strong>The NRA Responds to the Newtown Massacre</strong></h4> <p>Typically, in the wake of shootings like the one in Newtown, the NRA does not offer an immediate comment. Instead, NRA spokespeople assert that the aftermath of a tragedy should be a time devoted to memory of the victims and not to contentious political debate. Critics argue that, in the past, this has been a convenient way to sidestep any serious discussion of gun control.<br> &nbsp;<br> Following the massacre in Newtown, the NRA broke with its tradition of avoiding comment. On December 21, 2012, just a week after the shooting, NRA Executive Vice President <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/21/nra-full-statement-lapierre-newtown">Wayne LaPierre </a>held a press conference to argue for expanding gun ownership as a way to prevent crime. In his statement at the conference, LaPierre repeated what has become an unofficial slogan of the NRA, "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." He went on to ask, "Would you rather have your 911 call bring a good guy with a gun from a mile away... or a minute away?"<br> &nbsp;<br> LaPierre later blamed violence in video games and other media for the rising number of mass shootings:<br> &nbsp;</p> <div class="rteindent1">There exists in this country a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people... through vicious, violent video games with names like Bulletstorm, Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat and Splatterhouse. And here's one: it's called Kindergarten Killers. It's been online for 10 years.&nbsp;</div> <p>&nbsp;<br> LaPierre concluded his remarks by unveiling a new NRA plan to prevent school shootings like the Newtown massacre from happening again in the future. Dubbed the "National School Shield Program," the proposal calls for placing armed guards in schools to protect children. As LaPierre explained:<br> &nbsp;</p> <div class="rteindent1">[W]e need to have every single school in America immediately deploy a protection program proven to work — and by that I mean armed security....&nbsp;Every school in America needs to immediately identify, dedicate and deploy the resources necessary to put these security forces in place right now. And the National Rifle Association, as America's preeminent trainer of law enforcement and security personnel for the past 50 years, is ready, willing and uniquely qualified to help.</div> <p>&nbsp;<br> The NRA's plan drew criticism from many quarters. Some argued that it is not feasible to place a guard in every school. Others contend that militarizing schools does not create an environment conducive to learning. Adding to these positions, journalist Alex Seitz-Waltz argues in a December 21, 2012, article for <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/12/21/why_the_nras_plan_wont_work/"><em>Salon.com</em></a> that such a plan is unlikely to work:<br> &nbsp;</p> <div class="rteindent1">Before we just laugh away the NRA's plan to put armed guards (either police or volunteers) in every school in America, it's worth at least asking: Would it even work? People who actually study gun violence were not impressed.<br> &nbsp;<br> "The statement by the NRA is without any evidence that it would be effective," said Dr. Fred Rivara, an epidemiologist at the University of Washington and the editor-in-chief of the pediatrics division of the Journal of the American Medical Association, in an email to <em>Salon</em>.<br> &nbsp;<br> In fact,&nbsp;there was an armed sheriff's deputy at Columbine High School&nbsp;the day of the shooting. There&nbsp;was an armed citizen in the Clackamas Mall&nbsp;in Oregon during a shooting earlier this month. There&nbsp;was an armed citizen at the Gabby Giffords shooting&nbsp;- and he almost shot the unarmed hero who tackled shooter Jared Loughner. Virtually every&nbsp;university&nbsp;in the county already has its own police force. Virginia Tech had&nbsp;its own SWAT-like team.&nbsp;As James Brady, Ronald Reagan's former press secretary cum gun control advocate, often notes, he was shot along with the president, despite the fact that they were surrounded by dozens of heavily armed and well-trained Secret Service agents and police.<br> &nbsp;<br> "It's kind of fantasy thinking to assume that armed citizens are going to take out the bad guy and that nothing will go wrong,"&nbsp;Daniel Webster, the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, told me.</div> <p>&nbsp;<br> In a January 14 <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/page/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/01/14/National-Politics/Polling/release_192.xml">Washington Post-ABC News</a> poll, 58 percent of respondents indicated that they would favor a ban on assault weapons, a gun control measure that the NRA opposes. However, 55 percent also support the idea of putting armed guards in schools.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>1. Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?<br> &nbsp;<br> 2. &nbsp;After high-profile incidents of gun violence, the NRA routinely says that the aftermath of a tragedy is not the time to talk about gun control. Do you think this is a legitimate response, or do you think it is a way to sidestep serious discussion of gun control?<br> &nbsp;<br> 3. &nbsp;NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre cites video games as a cause of violence. What do you think? Do you think that video games really do incite young people to violence?</p> <p>4. &nbsp;The NRA's plan to prevent future school shootings is to make sure there is an armed security guard in every school. What do you think of this plan? What are some of the criticisms of the plan?<br> &nbsp;<br> 5. In a recent poll in the wake of the Newtown shootings, 58 percent of respondents indicated that they would favor a ban on assault weapons. The NRA opposes such a ban. Where do you stand? Explain your reasoning.<br> &nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2013-01-25T10:01:37-05:00" title="Friday, January 25, 2013 - 10:01">January 25, 2013</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:01:37 +0000 fionta 601 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org