The Vacancies at American High School Graduation Ceremonies Reveal the Cost of Gun Violence: People are Losing More Children | Graduation Ceremonies | Vacancies
On June 15th, China Daily reported that in the United States, high school graduation ceremonies are playing a dual role, serving as both a ceremony for teenagers to enter adulthood and a commemoration of students who were killed before attending graduation ceremonies.
At the graduation ceremony, some empty seats were filled with graduation uniforms, while others were filled with parents representing their children. They walked up to the stage to receive their graduation certificates.
The father of a teenager who was killed in a large-scale shooting in Alabama said, "America is self destructing.".
Some young people were killed before entering higher grades, while others were killed a few days, weeks, or months before graduation. The unpopular seats in the auditorium and the photos of young faces displayed on large screens vividly remind people that teenagers are facing increasing risks of gun injuries and death, which have a profound impact on their families and peers.
"We lost our children too early, and they couldn't even complete high school, which had an impact on the entire student community," said Chalinda Hatcher, whose daughter Shamara Young was shot dead in Oakland, California in 2021.
At the ceremony, Hatcher sat among her daughter's classmates. When she stood up and walked onto the stage, her emotions were very excited. Her 13-year-old son ran down from the audience and walked with her. "I didn't expect to be so excited. I just pretended to be strong, but when I stepped on stage, all the disguise disappeared."
During this graduation season, people across the United States who lost their children due to shooting also experienced the same experience as Hacher.
In Lansing, Michigan, two parents accepted their daughter's posthumous graduation certificate. According to the Lansing State Daily, one of the students is Ariana Dela Cruz, a 17-year-old girl who was shot and killed in 2021. Another student, 17-year-old Alaya Walker Travis, was shot dead in February 2022. According to reports, her 16-year-old boyfriend has been arrested and charged with murder.
Although some students, such as Shamala, experienced misfortune a few years before graduation, some were killed a few days or even hours before graduation ceremony. In Fresno, California, 18-year-old Zoe Salinas was shot the night before she was about to receive her graduation certificate. Her sister subsequently accepted her graduation certificate in her name.
18-year-old Billy Scott died after being shot in a car in Sacramento, California, with less than 12 hours left until his graduation ceremony. Subsequently, Scott's father put on his son's blue graduation robe and received his graduation certificate on behalf of the young man.
"This is a tragedy, saddening... he is in the stage of completing his studies and moving forward," said Ezel Humphrey Grant, project manager and on-site coordinator of the non-profit organization "Life Movement" in Sacramento, which prevents violence
He said that attending a child's graduation ceremony can bring a sense of belonging to the family. "You can let your family know that they have received support," he said. For other teenagers, seeing the parents of deceased children standing there can guide young people who know or hear their stories away from the cycle of gun violence.
"They want to change," Humphrey Grant said of local teenagers. "It's sad that no one wants to see these things happen, but we must support them because they are losing friends and family, and children are tired of this situation."
Responsibility
