Underwriting support from:
For more information
Event is free to the public. Doors open at 6:45 p.m.
I have great news for everyone who reads this article! This Friday evening, May 18, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Wealthy Theatre will be the venue host for a community discussion on nonviolence in the public school system. And if you’re still reading, the great news is your presence Friday evening can make the difference! The event sponsor is the West Michigan Community Advancement Group, a nonprofit created in 2016 to influence our neighborhood through self-discovery, hard work, academic achievement and spiritual formation. As a mission work of the Eastern Avenue Church of Christ (EACOC), we exist to impact and interact in West Michigan. This event has been constructed to enlighten and broaden our understanding about this subject; and not incite anger or rivalry. Our event aim is as follows, to provide opportunities for our students to be heard in a community forum; for our
students to hear from professionals; and to forward the dialogue into something measurable and meaningful.
At this point someone may wonder, why all the fuss? Hopefully, a brief review of the following facts will suffice:
“The US makes up less than 5% of the world’s population, but holds 31% of global mass shooters.”
“Firearms killed more 15 to 19 year olds than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined in 2016. ”
“More than 187,00 students have been exposed to gun violence at school since Columbine.”
As of May 11, 2018, “There has been, on average, 1 school shooting every week this year.”
Public school and university shootings in 2018 have occurred in at least fifteen states.
We are expecting a wonderful discussion. Although the original intent was to have all the questions submitted by local students, we are happy to announce that the majority of them will be. The categories that will be discussed are below:
1. Current Culture in Schools
2. Mental Health and the Influence of Video Games, the Internet
3. Prevention and Safety Measures
4. National Protests and Governmental Legislation
5. Personal Effects of School Shootings and Future Concerns
Hope to see you Friday night, knowing that your presence can make the difference!
The Rapidian, a program of the 501(c)3 nonprofit Community Media Center, relies on the community’s support to help cover the cost of training reporters and publishing content.
We need your help.
If each of our readers and content creators who values this community platform help support its creation and maintenance, The Rapidian can continue to educate and facilitate a conversation around issues for years to come.
Please support The Rapidian and make a contribution today.
Comments, like all content, are held to The Rapidian standards of civility and open identity as outlined in our Terms of Use and Values Statement. We reserve the right to remove any content that does not hold to these standards.