February 14th, a day that was supposed to be celebrated as a day of love through Valentines day and a reunion with God because it was also Ash Wednesday, was turned into a day of mourning, heartbreak, and tragedy. A 19 year old boy somehow got his hands on an AR-15, a weapon first introduced in the vietnam war, and murdered seventeen people and severely wounded seventeen more at the Marjory Stoneham Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Although this day had turned into a catastrophe, it had also spiraled into an uprising. Students and parents all across the country had enough of this violence at school. People all around the world held anti-gun violence walks in their cities. Students throughout the US participated in walkouts where kids and faculty could choose to leave their classrooms to protest this disaster.
Our school, Reading Memorial High School, had the honor to participate in the walkout. The walkout lasted approximately 17 minutes, in honor of the 17 students and adults killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The walkout included a moment of silence followed by speeches and powerful poems written by students. One student who wrote a heart wrenching and honest speech about the importance of gun safety was Junior, Matteo Coelho. His powerful speech had people on the verge of tears, warming their hearts on this cold, dreary day. He wrote about how he wanted a safe environment for his little sister, for his cousins and other family, something we can all relate to. His words broke down the walls that divide us. He preached that no matter one’s political background, race, or religion, we all have a right to be safe at school.
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking with Matteo. When I asked him why he wanted to write a speech for the walkout, he explained that he felt compelled to respond in a bigger way than just consoling and grieving. He chose to turn his grief and sorrow into force, like a lot of students from Parkland, FL, and to “hold up the government to a higher standard than it has been operating on”. I then asked him who influenced him to write his speech. He said that his teachers and faculty at RMHS and his family inspire him everyday to stand up for what he believes in. Matteo also explained that the students from Stoneham Douglas High School, and other protesting students around the world had impacted his choice to stay quiet or to speak up. He described Emma Gonzales and other students as “a force to be reckoned with.” Matteo Coelho is wise beyond his years, as his almighty and authoritative words call for reform and peace in a world of conservatory and war.
As a teenager in High School, I understand how difficult it is to stand up for what you believe in, especially when you are speaking out in front of people who could disagree. As a teenager in High School, rejection is my biggest fear. It’s easier to fly below the radar. It’s easier to not speak up. But, as a teenager in High School, who has watched other teenagers, like Emma Gonzales and Matteo Coelho fight for what is right, I now know that fear is just a word and change only comes when it is acted upon.