At noon on Friday, September 5, over a dozen Bates students aired their frustrations with American gun policy following the August 27 shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church. The walkout on the green in front of Commons featured speeches, silence and a moment of solidarity for victims of gun violence.
The walkout was part of a bigger organizational effort by Students Demand Action (SDA), a national, student non-profit that advocates against gun violence.
In an interview with The Student, President of the Bates’ chapter of SDA, Hanna Ranis ‘27, said, “We want to show that Maine cares by participating in the National Walkout.” She added that Bates’ SDA club is one of only two groups in Maine participating in the National Walkout.
Ranis added, “Our country is going through a time of immense fear and polarization; gun violence exacerbates this. Nobody, from a young child in school to a political leader on a college campus, should be killed because of gun laws that do not protect us.”
As a national organization, SDA reported 250 walkouts across the country on Sept. 5. Their goal? To abate the constant fear K-12 students feel entering school everyday; a fear that school is not safe.
“I always approach organizing by identifying our goal and then working backward to examine the actions and reactions we need to achieve it,” Rains said.
By holding the walkout, SDA hoped to “show the national Students Demand Action that even though there are not many student chapters in Maine, people in the state care about advancing legislation that better protects our communities.”
As an international student and treasurer for SDA, Jamie Shelton ‘27, holds a unique perspective on gun violence. “As someone who moved to the U.S. for college, it was horrifying to suddenly be in a place where this was my reality,” they said.
Vice President of Bates SDA, Ellie Millard ‘27, asked lawmakers to “take hardship and channel it into action.”
Specifically, Shelton said, “Our group is hoping to focus locally this year on the upcoming Red Flag Referendum and other measures in the Maine State Legislature that can help protect our community.”The Red Flag Referendum proposed would allow Maine courts to temporarily remove guns from individuals perceived as threatening to the community.
