Thousands of Hawaii Island students might leave their classrooms Wednesday morning to participate in National School Walkout Day, a student-led protest against gun violence.
Every school islandwide is creating a way for students — should they choose — to participate in the nationwide event, scheduled on the one-month anniversary of the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
The protest is championed under the Women’s March Youth EMPOWER organization. It’s slated to begin at 10 a.m. across all time zones and last 17 minutes, to honor the 17 people who died in the massacre. Youth EMPOWER said it hopes the movement encourages Congress to pass stricter gun legislation.
“Even though Hawaii does have strict gun laws, we just don’t want something like that to happen in our school,” said sophomore Wilmer Agpaoa, 15, who is spearheading the walkout at Keaau High School.
Youth EMPOWER is encouraging students to “walk out” in a way they choose — students can “circle their school holding hands … congregate in hallways to hold hands, sing songs or stand together in silence” or “speak the names of people killed by gun violence,” according to the organization’s website.
Some schools on the mainland have discouraged students from participating. A school district in Texas said it will suspend any student who participates in a walkout.
Hawaii’s Department of Education has said it “supports students’ constitutional rights to a peaceful assembly and free expression” and advised schools in a letter last week to create a designated “walkout area” for students wanting to participate.
The DOE said in the letter however that “disorderly conduct that disrupts school operations” is not acceptable and students who leave campus during the event will be marked with an unexcused tardiness or absence.
Agpaoa said he decided to organize a walkout at Keaau “because no one else was.” He’s asking Keaau students to congregate along a fence facing the highway and wave signs. He said the plan has been approved by Keaau administration and he’s hoping at least 500 Keaau students — or at least half the student body — will participate.
Agpaoa said since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut “there have been more than 200 shootings that have occurred in the U.S.” and thinks “that’s absolutely ridiculous.”
“After every school shooting, there are just thoughts and prayers,” Agpaoa said. “So, one week after (the shooting in Florida) it was like, nothing was happening. So we’re heading out (Wednesday) to make our voices heard and hopefully that protest encourages Congress to take action and pass sensible gun legislation.”
“When Wilmer told me about this I knew I wanted to join because I really believe we need gun safety laws and reform,” added Keaau freshman Jancy Rapoza, who said she and her group of about 20 friends also plan to participate. “I think it’s important because we shouldn’t have to come to school and worry about someone with a gun.”
In the Honokaa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena Complex Area, schools were advised to draft their own plan according to how they think is best, according to Superintendent Art Souza.
“Some schools might just attach 17 minutes to an existing recess period and others might decide they want a particular space and time,” Souza said. “So we’ll leave it to them. And there’s no political statements, this is simply to honor the memory of those who lost their lives (in Florida).”
Hilo High School is allowing students to gather on the campus patio during the designated walkout time and read aloud any comments they have about school safety or gun violence.
Waiakea High School will be passing out paper butterflies to students and encouraging them to write out their “goal” on how to make others feel included, said student body president Leira Joyce Vea. She said Waiakea students also will be asked to write on a banner positive ways to end school violence.
“We chose butterflies because they are one of the most colorful creatures in our world,” Vea said. “They evolve and change and they serve as a reminder to flap our wings and cause a change.”
Vea said Waiakea’s focus is “inclusiveness” and “ending school violence in general, not just gun violence.” She said the walkout event is being organized by student government leaders who hope to see schoolwide participation.
Participating Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science students will wear a common color and also walk out to a designated space, assistant school director Terri York said. York said the goal at HAAS is “to support students who want to participate” though “it’s completely voluntary” and “safety is our No. 1 priority.”
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
Honokaa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena Complex Area Superintendent Art Souza: “…there’s no political statements, this is simply to honor the memory of those who lost their lives ”
Wilmer Agpaoa, 15, who is spearheading the walkout at Keaau High School: “So we’re heading out (Wednesday) to make our voices heard and hopefully that protest encourages Congress to take action and pass sensible gun legislation.”
I’d love to see a video of Souza lying and see if he was able to keep a straight face as he did so. Or has he really issued an “order” that there will be punishment for anyone in the schools he supervises who mentions “gun control”?
Republicans no longer need to fear the 2018 elections.
They need to fear the CLASS of 2018!
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Yeah right let’s deny all adult Americans their civil rights because poorly educated children think it’s a good idea that would work.
Interesting.
I never said any of that!
But, what does that matter anyhow.
I am quite sure you are fine with a few Parkland incidents a year and doing NOTHING about it.
What I find most ironic, where does the 2nd amendment state that nut cases having AR-15’s is OK?
And why does the NRA and its supporters think nut cases having AR-15’s are OK.
If you don’t support that, then do something about it instead of posting ignorance proving pictures cut and pasted off the internet of sheer inane babble.
Because if YOU don’t, these kids will!
“I’m sure you are quite fine with a few Parkland incidents a year…”
It’s that warped sense if moral superiority, self righteous indignation, hateful attacks and base of lies that helped get Trump elected, btw.
What a truly vile thing to say.
You’re someone it’s important to ignore completely, and the reason ‘Liberalism is a disease’ is taking hold.
Blaming guns? NRA?
Consider: Approx 30 911 calls. (We won’t even get into Cruz’s years of ‘very unique’ therapy).
Consider: The ‘inspired by ISIS’ student who brought a BOMB to school last week in Utah. (not MSM covered)
Consider: No NRA member ever committed a school shooting.
Consider: Banks have armed security to protect money, but US schools have been Set Up for a repeat Bedsloe School hostage massacre, while coordinated offers by veterans orgs to provide protect of schools to prevent this have been repeatedly denied since the Bedsloe event.
AND, CRTITICAL: Consider: Parkland now has a dozen Red Flags of a False Flag, which you have neither the brains to reason out nor the balls to address.
YOU are more dangerous to the safety and welfare of our school children than guns.
For one to consider ANYONE of your points above, one would have to completely remove one’s self from reality and furthermore shows why people claim your head is up your a$$
To call Parkland a “false flag” operation makes you a completely irrelevant idiot.
Why? Exactly. I’m waiting.
You can wait until the place you believe in with your twisted ignorance called “hell” freezes over.
A discussion with an Alex Jones wanna be is like banging your head against the wall.
It feels great when you stop!
Enough said!
PS. Curl up and watch FOX news.
It clearly makes you the real dip $hit you have shown yourself to be.
But I do know one thing the orange haired baboon has done quite successfully.
Fu$k women.
Cheat in his wives.
He’s proven very good at that.
PSPS
Good job the sec of ed did on 60 minutes last night!
At least her fat a$$ is not flying around in 1st class and she has not ordered 33,000 dollar dining tables.
That we know of.
Yet.
Jack, wake up. There’s a Reason TRUMP WON.
When these kids Wake Up and realize how they’ve been brainwashed and used, it’s not the republicans they’ll be going after.
No disagree – Trump won.
But he has proven to be a disappointment to virtually everything his supporters want. They are the brainwashed ones!
These kids are not brainwashed.
They are just much much smarter!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2cded0f3d2aec048a0c976ac9823b8ba49ed4ec0cf19ff10b3678c6909e755dd.jpg
Another “cut and paste” specialist!
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Good job!
I am glad your skill set has taught you to discuss topics by cutting and pasting pictures off the internet.
It shows your tremendous intellect.
I could post a picture of Trump and Stormy from the internet but HTH does not allow porn.
Statistically speaking; six out of the ten people shown would be “liberal”.
Nonsense. Proven? How so, Exactly.
I’ve been an involved dem my entire life. I initially voted Against crime cartel HRC and now have zero regrets.
Tax cuts… Tariffs and AMERICAN steel …
after nearly 2 decades of anti national security nonsense, a denuclearised NK….
Are you Aware of what is happening with NK? (HTH even cover it?)
NONSENSE!
Keep drinking the poison kool-aid Shrewd!
Which part isn’t correct -lowered taxes, steel, NK disarmament?
You can’t debate w/ valid counterpoints.
NK has not agreed to anything. Yet.
Lower taxes has not done anything yet. Except cause the stock market to dip a bit.
Tariffs on steel have not taken place yet.
So, your argument if success is based on a lot of things that have not happened yet.
NK has agreed to work with Trump. More than send can say.
Quite the revisionist hey.
Numerous agreement have been negotiated and signed by both prior political party POTUS’
Only to have NK ignore them.
All that has been agreed to is a meeting.
Noting set up as of yet. No plans as to where yet.
And of course, we can count on the orange haired baboon to fu$k up any thing good that could come if this.
PS
Obama, as a candidate, suggested he would meet with the leaders of Iran, Syria AND NK.
Of course he was ridiculed for that idea.
Unconscionable to USE school children this way!!
And Hawaii’s school children are performing bottom of the barrel as it is. They cannot afford to miss one minute of classes!
So, organize a pro 2A march in all FAIRNESS -or lawsuits against schools, DOE, etc who participated will be in order here.
I can’t even imagine the school climate is like right now for kids who actually support America and the Constitution, whose parents are Aware and against what is looking more and more each passing day like a false flag event activated to launch a successful disarm campaign.
Just when you think Hawaii’s educators of children can’t possibly sink any lower….. Shame. Shame. Shame.
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I can assure you that HAAS students are sophisticated and well read enough to have a 2nd amendment rights demonstration if they desired. There just isn’t much support there for the enrichment of the arms industry, the bribing of legislators, or the endangering of young people through the epidemic of gun violence in our country. There isn’t a gun violence problem? Oh yeah; and Trump is doing a great job. LOL fool.
So those students are “well read enough” to have been exclusively exposed to the Democrat talking points you list in your following sentence? Are they “sophisticated” enough to know that they’ve been lied to and only presented one side of the various issues? If not, perhaps you could likewise present the three main points of the opposing view they’ve been exposed to as succinctly as you did the Dem talking points. Thank you.
Okay, let the name calling begin in 3, 2, 1…
the three main talking points?
1. There is no gun violence problem in America, and if there was the solution is more guns?
2. The NRA doesn’t represent arms manufacturers and doesn’t donate millions to Republican legislators?
3. Any form of gun legislation amounts to the confiscation of all firearms?
Sorry, these points of view, and the literacy of our so called leader have been discussed and rejected. The students I know are much better read and knowledgeable than the reality trust fund idiot in the White House.
They, and most other young people around the country, are the voting future of the U.S. (Hopefully, not too late)
No, I didn’t say “talking points”, I said “points”, as in the three main arguments of the other side that they were exposed to. So you got that wrong. And anyway, you providing merely the negatives of your talking points are not the talking points of the other side.
Let me rephrase it so perhaps you’ll comprehend the question. If the students are “well read” as you claim, please tell us what they have read as the main arguments as contributory solutions to the violence in our culture, including so-called “gun violence” in the “gun-free zones” known as schools.
Perhaps you could provide real time access to a few of these students so they could be asked some questions as to the level of their knowledge and have to respond immediately without coaching. No, I won’t provide the questions beforehand. If they are “well read” and “sophisticated” they will be well aware of all the arguments and have used their critical thinking skills to evaluate those arguments.
From your description of the three talking points that you claim represents the students’ views, I’m rather dubious that the students have been exposed to equal time and fair consideration of all points of view. Certainly the students the media has chosen to be spokespersons for the “walkout” clearly either don’t know the opposing arguments, or like their likely mentors, have chosen to either ignore them or distort them beyond recognition.
Calling the president names and making obviously unsubstantiated judgments and evaluations about him, besides being a red herring, only reinforces the obviousness of your lack of valid arguments and supporting evidence and thus your desperation resulting in your need to lie and distort the facts.
You can’t have a logical argument with gun control believers. You are dealing with mass media cultist brainwashing programming. What is needed is an intervention. If you have ever seen how people are saved from the clutches of cult brainwashing, the cult followers are dragged kicking and screaming from the evil cult, locked in a room wherein they scream bloody murder until they are physically broken down. Most Americans are brainwashed and incapable of independent thought. Never turn your back on the brainwashed cultist.
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So if Parkland as you say was a False Flag operation, how come Chicago isn’t?
Sec of State position just opened.
So in other words give up 1st amendment rights to cave to 2nd amendment language.
If one can’t debate with a person on gun control then one has to give up one right to protect another.
YOU can’t debate with anybody because your brain no longer functions due to decades of brainwashing. Seek help. Any conversation with Hilo Jack is a feedback loop of regurgitated anti freedom dogma. It’s brain is short circuited.
I can debate with anybody.
Nobody can debate anything with a loud mouthed a$$hole with demonstrated $hit for brains who continually posts internet memes and screams bitches and hollers his point by demanding a person give up his rights to protect yours.
Any fool with even a 10% functioning brain can agree that enacting laws to prevent bat $hit crazy idiots from owning a gun is a good thing that does not take away anyone’s rights.
In your case however, you would lose your guns.
As for who is brainwashed look into the mirror when you are using your mothers bathroom.
Sure HAAS, whatever you say. ‘completely voluntary’…. As everyone takes note of who didn’t participate.
What a truly ugly, ugly thing to do to school children!! Insidious.
The 1st amendment demonstration at HAAS is 100% student led and organized. HAAS staff encourage free expression and are doing their part to assure student safety. These young people are doing much more to learn and practice civics than those who make anonymous comments on the interwebs. Imua HAAS!
Yes, a demonstration.
Conducted on a school campus, during school hours.
In this case, it is an anti 2A assembly, very thinly veiled as a memorial.
Either way, it is an offense against Hawaii students who hold a differing pov.
Who are remaining silent in this current atmosphere.
Which is why demonstrations, regardless of who organizes them, or the agenda, Do Not Belong in Public Schools. Ever.
And you have now idea the Deep level of my involvement in ‘civics’.
You would not believe it.
I can imagine your deep involvement in civics is calling black peoples “niggers” and women “sluts”
Outside of that maybe you do volunteer a bit when having to serve time for various minor crimes.
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That’s priceless!
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Your intellect shows it must be “god” given!!
YAHWEH’S MINISTRY, LINCOLN PARK, HILO, HAWAII
The government took Yahweh out of the public schools and replaced Him with no protection, so now these Gun Free Zones are fish in barrel targets for anyone who has evil in their hearts.
I have owned firearms since 15 years old and there wasn’t anyone going into public schools or other Gun Free Zones murdering people.
It’s not the firearms which have changed in America, our society has changed where life has become meaningless for the unprotected both in the womb and outside of the womb for there is no protection for the preborn children and there is also no protection for the postborn children.
Meanwhile, abortion kills thousands of children per day in America and our society turns a blind eye to these murders!
Monday thru Friday at the Killing Center for Preborn Babies, some five helpless children are murdered, this House of Murder is also called the Hilo Community Surgery Center.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3a81c27977ae8a0b0063549faddb46f5514e91cf510b37d28773ed585206e693.jpg
YAHWEH’S MINISTRY, LINCOLN PARK, HILO, HAWAII
The government took Yahweh out of the public schools and replaced Him with no protection, so now these Gun Free Zones are fish in barrel targets for anyone who has evil in their hearts.
I have owned firearms since 15 years old and there wasn’t anyone going into public schools or other Gun Free Zones murdering people.
It’s not the firearms which have changed in America, our society has changed where life has become meaningless for the unprotected both in the womb and outside of the womb for there is no protection for the preborn children and there is also no protection for the postborn children.
Meanwhile, abortion kills thousands of children per day in America and our society turns a blind eye to these murders!
Monday thru Friday at the Killing Center for Preborn Babies, some five helpless children are murdered, this House of Murder is also called the Hilo Community Surgery Center.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3a81c27977ae8a0b0063549faddb46f5514e91cf510b37d28773ed585206e693.jpg
So, uploads have credit w/ you -sometimes.
Sometimes they do.
Not at virtually every post like you clearly have found yourself only capable of doing.
I am surprised st your response quite frankly.
Who did you get to type it out for you so you could employ your skill of cutting and pasting it?
Clearly an idiot like you could not have tried words.
On rare occasions, I do like various uploaded posts.
In even rarer occasions, I do upload somethings myself.
Of all the cut and pasted internet pictures I could upload to counter yours, this one is my all time favorite as it so distinctly says everything anyone needs to know and understand about the orange haired baboon, but it also so perfectly sums up his supporters for what they clearly are:
Enjoy!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/50ddb1c409d2f1a24037eb86b3be40840c0a10619903105dc366360bf5caa813.jpg
YAHWEH’S MINISTRY, LINCOLN PARK, HILO, HAWAII
This political cartoon is represents Liberalism cow dung!
Says the convicted welfare cheat.
The ad accompanying this article is an inside joke.
A fistful of blue pills! The ‘drug Hawaii students are taking’ indeed. LOL
Try to keep up, folks.
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Actually it’s an ad for viagra.
Bought and paid for by the Republican Party!!
YAHWEH’S MINISTRY, LINCOLN PARK, HILO, HAWAII
Protect both pre-born children and post-born children for ALL child killing is evil!
Child killing happens five days a week at HILO’S HOUSE OF MURDER AKA HILO COMMUNITY SURGERY CENTER.
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Remember that every sperm is sacred. Each time you masturbate thousands, well hundreds……OK, dozens of lives are taken.
YAHWEH’S MINISTRY, LINCOLN PARK, HILO, HAWAII
Protect both pre-born children and post-born children for ALL child killing is evil!
The House of Murder here in Hilo, puts to death five children per day! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f27398c5c1abe35add598874e877b6573b57b5858895e0e9778ac32f7713d07b.jpg