This morning some 200 Simeon Career Academy students boarded buses bound for Springfield. They’re on a mighty mission -- to try and save their classmates.
So far this school year, 29 Chicago Public School students have been killed.
Many of them died from gun violence. Fourteen-year-old Gregory Robinson was one of them. A mild-mannered, nerdy freshman with good grades and a passion for basketball, he became a statistic Friday night, when someone sprayed bullets into his cousin’s car. A single gunshot to his back and his young life was over in a matter of minutes. Many students are worried that more Chicago teens will die if something isn't done to stem this senseless violence.
The students heading to Springfield today hope to meet with lawmakers and urge them to pass common-sense gun legislation, like House Bill 48. It requires universal background checks for all gun purchases.
Many of the students said they were hopeful that stricter gun laws would help bring and end to the bloodshed and halt tragic early deaths like those of Gregory Robinson. But others were not so optimistic.
One student, a girl, who got off a CTA bus carrying an arm-full of books, told me that she believed their efforts were a waste of time. She said all the marches, bus rides and new gun laws won’t stop the killing. The only thing that will stop the killing, she believes, is a dramatic change in thinking among gangbangers and thugs. What will bring about this shift? She didn’t know.
I don’t know what will stop the senseless killing either. But I do think a bus ride to Springfield to lobby lawmakers is one step in the fight against gun violence in Chicago. What do you think?
Comments (1)
I'm not sure what the answer is either, but it seems like tightening gun control laws might help some. In any case, it is always good to see when young people try to do what they feel is right when it comes to public activism.
Posted by David | March 18, 2009 5:52 PM
Posted on March 18, 2009 17:52