To the editor:

We are so proud of what many thousands of school kids across America did on Wednesday. They took a stand for their right both to live and to learn in our schools. And what they did clearly shows that learning can also take place outside the walls of our schools. At many schools students walked out for 17 minutes to honor the 17 students and staff members who were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS in Parkland, Florida. Many rallies included reciting the names of the dead. At some schools students held a rally in a commons area inside their school.

We are sure that some of you feel that they had no right to walk out of schools or maybe they only wanted to play hooky. Any students who wanted to skip out quickly discovered that it was a moving and respectful experience. And if you read student letters to our newspapers and listen to their comments while being interviewed on our TV stations, you can definitely see that they are serious about wanting our schools to be safe. Plus at many schools students talked things over with their administrators to show their commitment and that they would soon be back in class. That’s exactly what students at New Ulm Senior High did in advance of their walkout.

As former school teachers here in New Ulm we are very proud of them. As much as many want us to respect the 2nd Amendment, we cannot forget the rights we have in the 1st Amendment.

Ingrid and Lowell

Liedman

New Ulm