Middle schoolers pledge to help curb gun violence

On Wednesday, students at Whitten Middle School took a stand against gun violence.

U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and members of the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of Mississippi, the Jackson Police Department, the Hinds County district attorney's office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives met with students at Whitten Preparatory Middle School to kick off the inaugural Student Pledge Against Gun Violence.

Not only was it a chance for students to take a stand against gun violence, it was another example of the partnership between federal agencies and the Jackson Police Department as they work toward cleaning up the capital city's streets and focus on community relations.

Participating middle school students took a voluntary pledge before Hinds County Circuit Judge Tomie Green that they will never take a gun to school, will never resolve a dispute with a gun and will use their influence to prevent friends from using guns to resolve disputes. One of the agents told the children a story of a family member who took a gun to school when he was 14 and found himself in the juvenile system. Now in his 30s, his life has never bee the same.

"That one decision has ruined his life," Davis said.

Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance said gunfire has ruined many lives in the city.

"It's not a secret. One of the issues in Jackson is gun violence," he said. "This city is plagued by shootings and gunfire, and those things obviously make people feel unsafe and are damaging to the image of this city."

Vance has spoken many times since he became chief last year about how JPD's partnership with federal authorities can help in getting criminals off the streets for much longer periods because it circumvents some of the bottlenecks in the local criminal justice system.

He has also placed a great emphasis on the relationships between the community and law enforcement.

"Adults are setting a bad example for these kids," Vance said. "They still have choices to make, and we're trying to plant a seed in their minds that they don't have to get involved in those things. We want to make sure they're aware of the alternatives to gun violence."

Each student who volunteered to take the pledge signed his or her name to a banner, Davis said, and his office will laminate it and return it to be displayed at the school.

Davis said when he asked the students how many of them knew people who had been involved in gun violence, the results were staggering and emphasized the need to ensure children understand early on the consequences of gun violence.

The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence is a national initiative that honors the role that young people, through their own decisions, can play in reducing gun violence. Held in conjunction with the Day of National Concern about Young People and Gun Violence, the initiative provides a means for teachers and community leaders to speak to young people about gun violence. Over 10 million students nationwide have taken the pledge since its inception in 1996.

Davis said he hopes that the program will have an impact on the students as they grow up.

"Community outreach involves getting to young people early so when they're faced with choices later in life, they can make the appropriate decisions," Davis said.

Vance said he believes the children processed the message but that the impact might never be clear.

"We may never know who was positively affected. The ones who make the bad decisions are the ones who get the most attention," he said.

In addition to providing the pledges to school leaders and students in the 45 counties that make up Mississippi’s Southern District, the U.S. attorney’s office also will coordinate with community leaders and law enforcement agencies to provide speakers at several schools to talk to students about what they can do to reduce gun violence in their communities.

Contact Therese Apel at tapel@gannett.com or (601) 961-7236. Follow @TRex21 on Twitter.

Take the pledge

If your school is interested in participating in the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence, please contact Sheila Wilbanks at Sheila.wilbanks@usdoj.gov.