March 27, 2018
Before we get into this hot topic we have an announcement: our sustainable rapper, Jason, just joined the In the Green Room team as our new producer!
*Kinga presses the sound board to cue the clapping
* Our first guest was 17-year-old high school student Jordan Harb. He helped organize March for our Lives here in Arizona where 25,000-30,000 marchers showed up to support the cause.
Chet brought up a good point about how school shootings are an American phenomenon, they don’t happen anywhere else in the world. America’s gun laws, in comparison to other countries, could have something to do with that.
Jordan told us students feel desensitized to school shootings because this has been occurring all throughout their generations’ lives. He wants to turn fear into action. After the Parkland shooting, students realize the fear they have is not okay and something needs to change. Parkland students inspired other students to speak out and take action. Jordan shared an interesting story about students who went to talk to their representatives and almost all of them cancelled appointments or didn’t acknowledge the issue at hand. The biggest goal these students want to achieve is universal background checks. In previous shootings, on-campus police weren’t very helpful, so Jordan thinks school cops need to be trained to work with kids instead of criminals.
Something all of our guests agreed on was that schools need more emotional support and counselors, although this problem won’t be solved with only one action.
Our second guest, Elretea Mack, has a teen rescue organization, is a former vice mayor, and a former teacher of 32 years. She says the older generation thinks all kids have to do is go to school and do their work, but that’s not true, they have to deal with emotions, frustrations, aggravations and bullies.
Our musician, Tanya Tiet, worked with Sister Sledge in the past and sang acapella on the show. She sang Child No More and shared how it is inspired by the things children are negatively affected by. To end the show, the talented Kit Getz sang Back Again and played along on her guitar.
You can find Jordan’s policy platform on marchforourlivesaz.org
Written by Jodi Guerrero