About 250 Webster Groves High School students participated in a peaceful protest inspired by the Jason Stockley case on Monday, Sept. 18, from 10:10 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. The students protested, staying on the school grounds and obeying guidelines from the administrators with classes continuing without disruption.
Later that evening, an article titled “Students at Liberal Webster Groves High School Walk Out to Hold Moment of Silence for Dead Heroin Dealer(Video)” was published on The Gateway Pundit, a St. Louis conservative political blog. The article was written by Jim Hoft, also the founder of this blog.
The ECHO would like to respond to this article by clearing some things up.
First, anyone who attended the protest knew the purpose was not to support a heroin dealer but to promote positive change in the Webster Groves community.
Secondly, the moment of silence was not held just for Anthony Lamar Smith, but for all black lives lost through police brutality.
Thirdly, The Gateway Pundit used a photo belonging to The WG ECHO for its article without permission.
The comment section of the blog post was filled with uninformed comments about Webster Groves High School and its students.
One commenter, John Merriman, said, “Would be nice if these kids showed as much concern about the hundreds dying from heroin overdoses in St. Louis every year.”
In April 2017, the ECHO published the article “Drug sweeps St. Louis” to spread awareness of the growing heroin usage and abuse in the St. Louis area.
Another comment from Jims Voice read, “The few unlucky whites at that school are mental slaves to the feral (sic) masses, or they are the next knockout game victim.”
Webster Groves High School has a predominantly white population, and teachers, administrators and clubs work to make everyone’s voice equally heard.
The ECHO staff believes that this article from The Gateway Pundit does not accurately represent our high school or the intent of the protest that was organized. Webster Groves High School students are always working to become better citizens, protesting being a part of citizenship, and will continue to do so despite attempts to demean them.
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As an alumni (2013) of both Webster Groves High School and of the WG Echo, I am so proud to see this editorial! It has truly been wonderful to see how your staff has grown and matured since 2009-2013, when I was on staff, with maybe 8 kids working. I would like to note that this publication has worked since 2010/2011 to ensure awareness about the heroin crisis with several articles published, including editorials, columns and personalized accounts, not just April 2017. Regardless, it is simply wonderful to see how y’all dealt with the misconceptions in such a calm and mature manner. Thank you!