Dozens, if not hundreds, of STEM School Highlands Ranch students walked out in anger Wednesday evening after two congressional Democrats and a far-left group politicized a vigil for a student who was killed during a mass shooting at the Colorado school Tuesday.
According to students who attended the event, the speakers at the vigil — Democrat Rep. Jason Crow, Democrat. Sen. Michael Bennet and Laura Reeves, an activist with the gun-control group Moms Demand Action — all sought to exploit 18-year-old student Kendrick Castillo’s death to score political points against the gun lobby and drum up more votes for Democrats.
“Democrat Rep. Jason Crow said ‘thoughts and prayers‘ were ’empty and hollow’ at the vigil,” investigative reporter Ryan Saavedra of The Daily Wire noted on Twitter after speaking with witnesses.
Both also called for more gun control, as did Reeves.
Watch the students’ reaction below:
While the rhetoric of Crow, Bennet and Reeves was offensive, it appears the Moms Demand Action activist’s words, in particular, were what spurred the spontaneous walkout.
“I am speaking to a student right now on the phone who was at the STEM School shooting vigil in Highlands Ranch and he says that the students became furious after listening to a woman from the far-left gun control group Moms Demand Action, who was heavily politicizing the tragedy,” Saavedra confirmed.
The students “felt like she was lying, using them, heavily politicizing the tragedy, and trying to capitalize on their pain,” he wrote. In a report for The Daily Wire, he added that students felt as if her words were “dystopian” and not connected to reality.
Listen to some of her unhinged speech below:
As noted by Saavedra, she demonized pro-Second Amendment politicians, asked the students to elect Democrats into office and requested that they raise money for gun control advocates.
After walking out on her politicized speech, the students reportedly chanted “mental health,” held their own vigil outside and then later returned to the auditorium to blast Democrats and their allies with Moms Demand Action for disrespecting them.
Observe:
STEM School students walked out of a vigil tonight after @RepJasonCrow & @SenatorBennet spoke. Students said their grief was being politicized. They later returned, took the mic, and some said they didn’t want to be used to promote gun control. #copolitics #9NEWS
— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) May 9, 2019
Students from the #STEMshooting in Colorado stormed out of a rally organized by gun-control advocates Wednesday night after growing angry about the politicization of their trauma. pic.twitter.com/uCLEqt89VY
— Trevor Hughes (@TrevorHughes) May 9, 2019
Powerful moment when STEM School kids spontaneously started shouting, “mental health! Mental health!“ Anguish at adults not recognizing their pain and the pain of their classmates. #stemschoolshooting pic.twitter.com/8U0lAfh64o
— Jenny Brundin (@CPRBrundin) May 9, 2019
What was so amazing about STEM school kids walking out, holding up lights in the drizzling rain to honor their friend who died, shouting for mental health services, sharing their grief into microphone is this: teens worlds are hyper-controlled by adults. Tonight, THEY spoke. pic.twitter.com/yMEpF4ODTI
— Jenny Brundin (@CPRBrundin) May 9, 2019
Frustrated, crying and angry, #STEMschool shooting victims hold an impromptu vigil in the rain Wednesday after leaving a gun-control vigil they felt inappropriately politicized their trauma. (They asked that I not photograph their faces close up, and I respected their wishes.) pic.twitter.com/cksRXGtYQA
— Trevor Hughes (@TrevorHughes) May 9, 2019
STEM students leave vigil, hold their own outside Highlands Ranch HS. pic.twitter.com/aJUkXcttk2
— Michael de Yoanna (@mdy1) May 9, 2019
Wild scene where STEM school kids walked out of Highlands Ranch, upset that the event was the politicians talking about gun control. So they took over themselves and I have their own vigil. #STEMShooting pic.twitter.com/WlIjwctnFo
— Jenny Brundin (@CPRBrundin) May 9, 2019
The “mental health” chants were likely in reference to the indisputable fact that improved mental health services would do far more to stop school shootings than gun laws.
The next morning some in the media rushed to try and defend Moms Demand Action.
“I feel terrible. They did not feel represented. I get it,” The Daily Beast, a radically far-left outlet, quoted Reeves as saying. “This was put together in such a short time. I know they did their best. Emotions are raw and sad. They are grieving. They need to express their feelings. They need to be together. I am hoping their school can help facilitate that conversation beyond this week.”
The Daily Beast’s piece didn’t contain a single from quote the students themselves …
Also note her lack of an apology.
Team Enough, the Brady Campaign branch that reportedly organized the event, did at least take the time to issue a formal apology: “We are deeply sorry any part of this vigil did not provide the support, caring & sense of community we sought to foster and facilitate,” the group said.
Gun control org @bradybuzz apologizes for #STEMshooting vigil. Students walked out saying their grief was being politicized. “We are deeply sorry any part of this vigil did not provide the support, caring & sense of community we sought to foster and facilitate” #9NEWS #copolitics pic.twitter.com/NHD6EaekXg
— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) May 9, 2019
As of Thursday morning, it didn’t appear that Moms Demand Action — whose abject ignorance, zealotry and insensitivity have been well documented — had issued an apology or statement.
Nor were there any apologies or statements on the social media feeds of Crow and Bennet.
There was however widespread condemnation all over Twitter:
I’d love to hear an apology from @SenatorBennet @MomsDemand @RepJasonCrow . Think it would ever happen it are they just desensitized to using the plights of other humans for their agenda?
— David Alder (@studmuphn) May 9, 2019
Registering voters? What the hell does that have to do with the grief of the kids, teachers and families? So proud of those kids for standing up to the political machine that uses them as pawns in all they do. AKA Democrats.
— Feathers and Nails (@FeatherandNail) May 9, 2019
As a Columbine survivor, I know how they feel.These kids are not political footballs but are being treated that way. It happens too often. Some problems don’t have a political answer. this is one of them. God bless them. Time will heal their wounds as a community. Not politicians
— Ben Oakley (@btoakley11) May 9, 2019
These kids got it!! Mental health is the issue not guns!!!
— pitbull supporter (@kravtodd) May 9, 2019
Just when I was losing faith in today’s youth, this came along to renew it. Made me realize once again if you rely solely on Mainstream Media for information, your world view will be dark, divisive, and hopeless. Thank God for alternative media, and well done to those kids!
— Chad Hale (@chadhale1970) May 9, 2019
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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