The Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) chapter at Hononegah Community High School in Illinois organized a counter demonstration to an anti-Second Amendment walkout and rallied support for the Second Amendment. Cruz Marquis, the chairman of the YAF chapter, recognized his classmates’ disapproval of a walkout held in March and the need for someone to spearhead a display in support of the Second Amendment. Cruz decided that it was up to him and his YAF chapter to redirect the conversation on campus and to advocate for policies that would actually work to protect schools and their students, rather than strip them of their ability to defend themselves. With nothing more than a cellphone, a few American flags, the school printer, and materials provided by Young America’s Foundation for his chapter, the YAF activists motivated their classmates to rally in support of Second Amendment freedoms and to speak out against the Left’s efforts to use high school students as their pawns. Excitement for the YAF chapter’s response to the walkout began to grow as the chapter worked to promote conservative values through tabling and postering around their school. When the Hononegah Community High School walkout occurred, its attendance of no more than a dozen students was a fraction of its anticipated size. Meanwhile, dozens more students joined the YAF chapter in its rally for Second Amendment freedoms. While addressing the leftist attempts to shame conservative views, Cruz proudly remarked, “[YAF] will not go away and we will continue to fight for the values of a strong national defense, traditional conservative values, and this great nation we call the United States of America! God Bless America!” This was followed by chants of “USA” that rumbled across the campus. Hononegah Community High School YAF, like their fellow YAF chapters nationwide, understand that their presence on campus provides a crucial platform for conservative students and gives them the confidence and knowledge necessary to speak out against the Left’s dangerous agenda and ongoing attempts to hinder conservative thought.
