My intention of this article is not to be political. I want it to be far from that. I’m tired of people fighting each other about right and wrong and using it to divide the nation. I don’t care if you are against or for gun control; this is not about that.

At 10 a.m.on Wednesday, several students walked out of their classrooms. Everyone had their own reason for walking or not walking out. Whether you did or didn’t, I’m still proud of our community.

Although everyone had their own reason, the main purpose of the walkout was to honor the 17 victims of the Florida shooting and to unite as a community to fight against violence.

Everyone is fed up with hearing about tragic events and some are asking, “Who will make a change in America happen?” I believe our response should start with us and now.

The walkout shouldn’t be the end of this tragic event in Florida. It should be a start to unity and peace, but to do that, we need to change it in our daily lives. Whether or not you were a participant or you really believe tragedies like Florida’s should end, it starts with you.

Just going into the lunchroom, you can still see students treating each other like they are a different class. The popular are at their table while the not so popular are at theirs. The loners are still sitting by themselves while there are groups of kids laughing at the far end of the room. This is where it starts.

We often don’t pay attention to these people and forget that our problems are not always that big.

Go out of your way to help the strange and unwanted. Take time to show everyone that someone cares for them. Find out what they are like and how they feel. Nobody wants to be alone despite what they say. People have problems that you wouldn’t expect. I challenge you to hear them out. Show them that they are not mistakes. Show them that things will get better.

Don’t make the walk meaningless; continue the walk every day with your actions.

I say all of these things, but I still think our school is great. I love that we have things like Boost Club here to make others feel better. I know that there are amazing relationships in our school. I’m not saying that we are doing a bad job, just that we can still try to do more.