"All this killing and gang violence and stuff like that is pointless cause it goes in a circle you kill somebody's homeboy they kill one of your homeboys and it's retaliation and retaliation won't get you nowhere," Doreal McGraw said.

 

Omaha South sophomore Doreal McGraw is one of several students who've formed Omaha Youth Peace Movement. He, along with Benson junior Tyree Peter are talking to their peers, encouraging them to put down the guns and promote a peaceful solution to life's problems.

 

"We're gonna start to figure out ways to get people who are in gangs out of gangs and how to help them to figure out what they need to do to help the gang violence to stop and get weapons off the streets so the killings can stop," Tyree Peter said.

 

McGraw and Peter say teens have the power to bring about a positive change. School officials at Omaha South say that change will happen when both staff and students unite to encourage peace as the solution instead of violence. "It was an amazing thing to see these students come together last Friday and to talk about violence and the ways they felt violence needs to be stopped, the need to step forward and the need to let their voices sing out," Mary-Beth Muskin said.

 

Local students are planning a peace movement Friday at Benson High School.