DES MOINES, Iowa- Today (Wednesday) was a planned "Stand for the Second" event, started by a New Mexico high school student, who encouraged students to walk out of class for 16-minutes or to schedule a time outside of class to show support for the Second Amendment. His website states students in more than 40-states had registered to participate in the effort.
Norwalk High School students, Alex Lingwall, Hunter Gear, and Cal Voitel received permission to travel to the Iowa State Capitol to talk to their representatives about gun rights.
"People don't understand that the root issue is not guns, but actually people," said Lingwall who is a senior at Norwalk. Lingwall says his stance has not always been well-received, he says he's been called names to his face and behind his back for supporting gun rights.
Hunter Gear, a junior at Norwalk owns hunting grade AR-15s, and uses them to shoot coyotes. He told WHO Radio News he was at the Capitol today to talk to lawmakers about the issue, and explain his concerns about maintaining gun rights.
Cale Voitel, a junior, says the topic has been controversial at school, leading to a lot of discussion in class. He says he and his classmates agree no one wants to get hurt, but they also want to show support for the Second Amendment.
The Stand for the Second event comes just over a month after a national walkout aimed at stopping gun violence and honoring the students killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in February.