On March 14, many students participated in the National School Walkout as a protest for stricter gun control and to stand up for victims of gun violence. Plenty of students participated in this iconic movement despite concerns of suspension, detention and even expulsion from their schools.

Of course, there was backlash created when the idea of this movement came to the public's attention.

In retaliation to the “Walk Out” the “Walk Up” alternative was created.

This movement encouraged students and employees to be more inclusive and kind towards others in an effort to stop school shootings.

Instead of walking out of school for 17 minutes and participating in political activism, students would spend 17 minutes going up to their peers and attempting to get them more involved.

I do believe the “Walk Up” movement is a positive sentiment created in hopes it would end bullying and isolation within our schools.

However, with that being said it was completely naive for those who participated to think that being “kind” to those students who isolate themselves or seem different would ever create a change in mass shootings in schools.

Being a nice person does not fix gun laws, does not end school shootings and does not fix mental illness.

In my opinion, “Walk Up” is supposed to be a kind gesture encouraging students to be accepting of all people but minimizes what happened to students affected by the recent school shootings as well as past gun violence events.

It minimizes their experience because this movement is telling them that the moment they were in danger, that moment they screamed and cried in closets, that moment they thought they were sending their last text message to their parents, ALL could have been prevented by kindness alone.

Through this movement, you are telling these children it is their fault school shootings happen.

“If they had just been nice to the outcast,” is a completely ignorant way of thinking.

Instead of blaming these students for not seeing the signs in their classmates, we should be encouraging students to be political activists. We should be encouraging our students to stand up for what they believe in.

Encouraging them to fight for their safety within our schools and recognizing we need stricter gun laws.

By stressing they should be Walking Up instead of out you are telling them that this is all their fault.

Should we really be blaming the children?

No.

Instead of putting the blame on students, the school system and legislators should be taking the responsibility for this problem and doing something about it.

This campaign was made up so adults and other professionals do not have to take responsibility when another tragedy strikes. It is a way for them to put the blame on the children and be able to say, “We told you so.”

The Walk Up movement is flawed.

We should never have to ask our children and students to go befriend someone just because they are different.

We should not have to walk up to someone who isolates themselves or seems different if we do not want to.

This campaign is asking for classmates to befriend outcasts. It is a nice effort, truly, but how much more isolated do you think those “outcasts” feel?

Imagine being an outcast at school and all of sudden, you begin being singled out by your classmates, having them actually come up and talk to you, just for you to realize that they only acted kindly in fear that they thought you were going to be the next Nikolas Cruz or Columbine shooter?

I agree that students all across the world should be kinder to each other. We have been saying this for years. However, I do not think in any capacity we should be blaming students for why school shootings happen or why gun violence happens period.

We cannot make these students walk up to their peers because they feel bad for them or fear them. We shouldn’t be expected to put our students in a position they feel uncomfortable in just so another student seems to become less susceptible to becoming a criminal in doing so.

We cannot assume that every student who isolates themselves or seems a little different is going to become a threat.

Yes, it is important to be nice to everyone. However, we should not be kind just because we are fearful that we are going to die at their hands.

We need to develop different ways of talking to our children and checking in with them without having to single them out the way the Walk Up movement has done.

We demand change in a lot more ways than one.

This is more than just about guns. This is about our future. This is about our children.

Their lives are more important than anything so we need to unite and start acting like that statement is true.

Let students walk out. Let students protest. Let us now begin to take notice and ignite a change.