Two weeks ago, on March 14th, thousands of high school students walked out in protest of gun violence. My sister, her friends, my friends who are still in high school, heck, I heard that even the two middle schools in my hometown participated in the walkout.

The walkout took place during my spring break, so I was home the night before when my sister asked my parents if it was okay with them if she participated in the march. My dad nodded and told her to go for it. My mom turned to her and went (and I kid you not), “Yes! You don’t need to ask! This is very important! I will support you with whatever.” I was really glad that my sister and so many others at my old schools took part in the walkout.

However, when I went onto Facebook that evening, I saw various parents sharing posts that stated #WalkUpNotOut. Now this idea goes like this, “Instead of walking out, walk up to the kid who sits alone at lunch and invite him/her to sit with your lunch group, walk up to the quiet kid in the corner and say hi, walk up to the kid who causes disturbances and ask how they’re doing; walk up to someone and just be nice.”

Now I don’t know about any of you but I’m calling bullshit on that.

Being nice to someone won’t necessarily change anything.

Some people would just rather be alone. I remember in middle school there was this girl who always sat alone during lunch. One time I went over to sit with her, to be nice, and you know what she said? She said, “Leave. I don’t want anyone to sit with me. I like being alone.” I was nice to her, yet she didn’t want to accept it. I couldn’t force her to let me sit with her.

And guess what?

She didn’t go out, buy a gun, and start shooting the school. Granted we were like 12, but I saw her all throughout high school and even then she was always alone. Yes, I believe that everyone should be nice to others, but come on, that’s just the simple “treat others the way you want to be treated.”

Telling the kids “walk up not out” is telling the victims of not just the Parkland shooting, but any other shooting, that because they didn’t “walk up” to Nikolas Cruz or Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, it’s their fault that these people decided to acquire a gun and shoot up a school. You are saying that it should be the kids’ responsibility of each other's mental health. This is victim-blaming and it is unacceptable.

Kids should be responsible for their mental health, not the mental health of others.

Walking up to others is great and all and should always be done, but trying to tell younger generations that instead of protesting for what they believe is right and just they should just be quiet and try to befriend someone who potentially doesn’t want to be befriended is stupid.

Yes, it will make "a few kids feel better" because they know that they are part of an event that will hopefully bring change and better the country.

We are the future of this nation, just like you were at some point, so why are you trying to silence us for what we believe in and for what will ultimately affect our future and the generations to come?