Colorado students walk out of vigil for the victims of the STEM shooting after politicians and anti-gun groups politicize it.

Students walk out of a vigil after it became an anti-gun rally. The Federalist. 

Colorado students and parents walked out a vigil that was supposed to be for the victims of the STEM shooting after it became politicized. The Federalist. The vigil had been billed as a remembrance of Kendrick Castillo, who heroically charged at one of the two shooters, buying time for his students to escape or stop the attacker. However, the event soon turned into a rally for gun control. Two US politicians, Senator Michael Bennett and Representative Jason Crow, both Democrats, called for new gun control laws. Later a speaker for one of the anti-gun groups who sponsored the event spoke and caused a spontaneous walkout by students and parents outraged by the politicization. Students criticized Senator Bennett to his face and chanted "Mental Health" as they walked out. Students then returned and took control of the microphones. Some said they did not want to be pawns for gun control groups while others were angry that an event that was supposed to be about Castillo had turned into a political rally. 

Students at a vigil for the STEM School shooting in Highlands Ranch reportedly walked out of the event after Democrat politicians Jason Crow and Michael Bennet made remarks and students said the tragedy was being politicized.

Outside, students chanted: "Mental health!" pic.twitter.com/sQpTfAUWCs

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 9, 2019

Students from Highlands Ranch HS hosted a community vigil in support of STEM students. A group of STEM students and other walked out of the event after a few voiced concerns about not being listed as speakers for the vigil program. #9News pic.twitter.com/3kA7bbnjAS

— Ama Arthur-Asmah (@Ama_A_Asmah) May 9, 2019

My Comment:
 I'm very proud of these students for not putting up with this hugely insensitive act. I mean, I am about as huge of a gun rights supporter as you can get but even I know that trying to politicize such an event in person is a horrible idea. I can't imagine doing something like this on an issue as polarized as gun rights at what is essentially a funeral. Trying to force an opinion on a hot button issue while people are mourning is, to put it crudely, a dick move. Spout off about it on social media, sure, but in person? Just an awful thing to do.

The vigil wasn't supposed to be about gun rights or gun control, it was supposed to be about honoring a brave young man who died to protect his friends, fellow students and teachers. And it was to honor the other people wounded in the attack and the other students that helped subdue the attackers.

What Senator Bennett, Representative Crow and the members of Team Enough and March for our Lives did was just the opposite. Instead of making an event that was open to everyone to mourn and celebrate the life of a hero, they made it all about themselves and their pet cause. These students didn't want to talk about gun control, or even gun rights, they wanted to mourn and these absolute assholes didn't let them do it.

For Bennett, I am guessing that he was trying to draw attention to his irrelevant run for president. I hadn't even realized he was running until this incident. He thought he would get some soundbites and some good coverage from the media but instead it backfired pretty badly. Honestly though, if he had just honored the students and listened to them instead of making it about him, he probably would have gotten a bump in the polls.

These students did what they should have done. They stood up, got out and gave both the Senator and the media a piece of their mind. Some were angry about the gun control push and others were angry about trying to tie in a solemn event into a culture war and some were just angry that they weren't able to speak about their friend.

I have long said that gun control groups are among the most disgusting people out there. Even if I didn't find their cause to be reprehensible, their tactics are even worse. I have always said that the one group of people that actually wants school shootings are gun control supporters as they can exploit the tragedy to try and convince people that their side is right. It's deeply cynical and I am always so disappointed when people fail to see through it. This is a very good example of how these gun control groups operate.