Today, for the first time — inspired by my daughter, I exercised my First Amendment right to peaceably assemble. #IStandWithTheStudents

Today, I gathered around the flagpole at my daughter’s middle school, with other parents and students, to take a stand against gun violence. As I stood there silently in the cold for 17 minutes and listened to students read the names of those who senselessly lost their lives in Parkland, Florida, I was moved to tears. And I am unashamed to state aloud that I would like my government to reconsider its stance on guns in this country.

My daughter was part of today’s protest. She is the one who mentioned it to me. But she was not outside with me as our school district did not support the idea of students leaving the school during the day. They want to keep our kids safe. And I respect their stance.

But, my daughter has a right to make a statement … to protest … to take a stand. Her voice is as important as any other in inspiring change. So, we found an option to keep her safe, to honor the school’s rules AND to give her a voice.

Students who wished to participate stood up quietly, left their classrooms peacefully, and were directed by staff in the hallways to gather together in the auditorium. They didn’t make a lot of noise. It was a reflective moment. They were reminded before they left their class that they were safe in their room. But they were not prevented from participating in this nationwide protest.

Oh, it wasn’t encouraged, promoted or even well known. The email from our superintendent was murky at best. But Paige felt strongly. So, I reached out to the principal for clarification and then offered her the option to assemble — if she so chose — while still respecting the school and its policies.

So Paige joined the protest and took a stand against gun violence without disrupting the school’s educational focus.  And I couldn’t be prouder of her.

Today her text to me was powerful — I like to think the Founding Fathers would nod their heads in approval.

Before today, I’ve never been part of an assembly like this. I’ve never done what my daughter chose to do. I’ve never gathered around a flagpole or taken this kind of stance. I’ve never marched in a protest. But today, I chose to stand against the violence in our schools — violence brought on by careless leniency in gun regulations and the too easy accessibility of assault weapons in this country.

I stand against gun violence. I have no issues with those of you who like their guns. Rifles for hunters or handguns for home protection are fine by me.

But when the 2nd Amendment was crafted, our Founding Fathers could not have anticipated the “arms” our country could create — or that these arms would be used in random acts of violence such as are happening in our schools.  Semi-automatic weapons — weapons that should be in the hands solely of our military — those do not need to find their way into the hands of troubled teens or dysfunctional adults. Something must change.

We said that after Columbine. And we say it again today.

Access to weapons of this magnitude — the ones killing our students — must stop. I don’t personally see how that could infringe on the rights of people to keep and bear arms. I don’t believe our Founding Fathers would have written this amendment to allow the types of weapons causing the problems in our country today.

Oh I know. Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. But, if access was better regulated and laws adhered to and respected, I still don’t believe the weapons in question belong in anyone’s hands but “a well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State.”

I know. I’m naive. I don’t grasp all the large scale issues surrounding this touchy subject. But, I know that something is wrong when 17 kids die at a school as a result of a 19-year-old with a grudge finding easy access to an assault-style weapon.

So, I Stand With The Students. Enough is enough. How long will it take? Perhaps the answer is around the flagpole or in the gathering place with our students. They’ve had enough.

Perhaps true change comes with their generation.

I can only hope …

                                                                   — Jenni