After the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on Valentine’s Day,  students around the country began protesting for stricter gun laws.

In response to a comment made by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, The Daily Show‘s Trevor Noah said, “If kids are old enough to be shot, they are old enough to have an opinion about being shot.”

This thinking and stance on such a big issue really does let us have some hope.  If these tragedies keep happening and all people do is send out their thoughts and prayers, nothing will change.  The leadership role taken by some teenagers shows them to be braver than some politicians.

Take a look at shooting survivor David Hogg. While some of his actions can be deemed questionable, like filming himself and interviewing students while they were huddled up in closets, the role he has taken on as a voice for the voiceless is very impressive for someone his age.

Seeing them going toe to toe with politicians and winning over crowds with their speeches is an incredible feat for people who can’t yet rent a car.

Some are saying that the walkouts and protests aren’t going to do anything in the long term — and the only way we can figure that out is by waiting and seeing — but it is nice to know that some people aren’t willing to throw in the towel so easily.

Some school districts even went so far as to punish kids who walked out in support, threatening detention, suspension and not being allowed to graduate.  According to CNN, schools in two cities in Pennsylvania and South Carolina have punished roughly 730 students for protesting, giving 530 of them detentions and suspending 200 others.

It is going too far to punish students who protest peacefully.  They are exercising their First Amendment rights.  School districts punishing students should get punished for trying to  suppress their voices.