ATLANTA — In the wake of the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, some local students are reflecting on the world they're growing up in and what they can do about it.
They were born after the shooting at Columbine, heard about Sandy Hook in middle school and now deal with this week's shooting as they prepare to graduate.
Channel 2's Lori Wilson sat down with students at The Galloway School in Atlanta. They are 17- and 18-year-old seniors. They've only known a world where shootings at a school could happen anywhere, anytime.
“As a high school student it was terrifying, but it wasn’t surprising because it’s one of the norms that are present in our generation today,” said Courtney Copeland.
Seniors who should be thinking about summer plans, graduation, and the future, are now having to think about mortality and the fear and violence that took place at a Florida high school this week.
“You feel people, you may not know them, but they are kids just like you,” said Wesley Hardin.
“This can happen anywhere, anytime, at concerts, at schools, at sporting events,” said Dean Kopitsky. “This kind of pattern makes me feel that we can all be victims at any time, and what is really there to protect us?”
They found out 17 people were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School through social media.
“It pops up as a notification on my home screen,” said Morgan Mattke. “(It was) on my way home after practice, along with a bunch of other messages, which in itself is very heartbreaking that it can be lost in a wave of social media.”
On Thursday, they stopped to process what happened.
“Although I feel safe at school, I know it can happen any time at any school,” said Copeland.
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“A school should not need a gun. It should be a safe protected place,” said India Stevenson.
“It is honestly scary to live in a world like this where things like this can just keep happening, yet nothing is changing,” said senior Jaden Burris.
This group said that change can happen person to person, and in the political arena.
“It’s about prioritizing lives over hobbies,” said Mattke.
“I think we are so quick to blame government officials and policy changers,” said Copeland. “And sometimes, it’s us to blame. Sometimes we can have compassion for others because we don’t know what they’re going through that day.”
“We are not doing what is necessary to address the problem that we have at hand,” said Burris.
“(Years ago) there was talk of arming teachers as one of the ways to prevent school shootings, and I feel like we haven’t really made much progress since that discussion, which wasn’t really a good starting place to begin with,"Kopitsky said.
“No one wants this to happen,” said Hardin.
“Either side of the aisle, everyone is trying to prevent it,” said Mattke, “That policy decision is going to be made in D.C., away from all these schools that are experiencing these shootings.”
“If a lot of people are passionate and show compassion, there will be people working to change this and as long as there are people who are trying to make a difference, I think we’ll see results," said Stevenson.
“We have to fix the mistakes that the older generation made,” said Burris. “So either we start doing it now, or we’re going to have to have our sons or daughters have to deal with these mistakes, and that’s not something I plan on letting happen.”
Cox Media Group
