Students Support a Positive Protest Outside Westview High School
By Dana Ellis '15
Saved under Local News, News
Westview High School students holding posters made with positive images appropriate for the nearby elementary school on May 30. (Photo: Christopher Alvarez )
Last week a group of local high school students decided to create a counter protest outside of Westview High school. The protest they were trying to end was an anti-abortion protest; the point the students were making was to have a pro-positivity gathering in place of a pro- or anti- abortion protest.
The anti-abortion protest began as a harmless protest near the school but as the protest became more noticeable, with an increase in extremely graphic images and posters, students at the school decided to stand up to the disruption.
One of the biggest issues these students and other community members are having with the anti-abortion protest is the location they picked – Westview is located extremely close to Rock Creek Elementary School. Students and parents voiced concern over the exposure of graphic images to young children.
Jackie Salzinger, a senior at Westview and one of the students who created the positive protest, spoke about why she wanted to start a counter protest, “This is a really divisive issue, and whether you’re pro-choice or pro-life, I think we can all agree that graphic images and language about the issue do not belong in our schools. We think calling students “murderers” and exposing them to these images is not conducive to a desirable learning environment.”
Other students began to join the group making posters that say things like “Have a great day!” Students also drew pictures that they considered more appropriate, particularly for the local elementary students.
The hope of the positive protest was to express not a pro-choice view, but rather to portray positive messages and images and ensure that the graphic images were not viewed by elementary school students.
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This is really interesting! Nice work. I also really like the images. Although the protest was ostensibly objective, it really points to the manipulative and distracting imagery used by one side in the abortion debate.
Hi! This is Eamon Walsh, Patrick’s son.This is a great article, but did you go and see the protest? Also, I agree with this article.
I loved your article. People shouldn’t be showing the elementary students graphic inappropriate pictures and posters. If I were in their shoes, I would be in the positive protest. Though the anti abortion protest does have a good meaning.
This is a great article that I find really interesting and inspiring. I am very impressed that the high schoolers at Westview were passionate enough to create a “counter protest”. Often, high schoolers can be portrayed as insensitive, but occasions like this really represent how considerate and impressionable teenagers can be. Good work Westview students!
I still don’t understand what the protest was about.