Sheriff Pohlmann and students at St. Bernard Middle School take part in Student Pledge Against Gun Violence and sheriff visits classerooms to discuss with them peaceful resolution of disputes

Sheriff Pohlmann visited classrooms, talking with students about peaceful ways of resolving disputes.

Sheriff James Pohlmann participated with St. Bernard Middle School students on Wednesday in the national student pledge against gun violence. Taking part in a live message shown to all homerooms in the school are, from left in front, school counselor Paul Tran, 8th-grade students Madison Melerine and Brissa Taylor and Assistant Principal Angela Seibert, who was also participating in Crazy Hair Week at the school. In back are Principal Sue Deffes, Sheriff Pohlmann and Lt. Robert Broadhead.

Sheriff James Pohlmann participated with students at St. Bernard Middle School on Wednesday as they took a pledge against gun violence on the National Day of Concern about Young People and Gun Violence.

The sheriff took part in a live video message broadcast to each home room at the start of the school day in which the pledge was taken, and then visited several classrooms to discuss with students the need for peaceful resolution of disputes.

“The best way to settle a dispute is to talk about it,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann told students in 7th- and 8th-grade classes. “Don’t let it end with violence, especially with a gun.’’

If talking between people doesn’t solve a problem they should simply go their own ways, Sheriff Pohlmann said, but don’t carry arguments to the point of physically attacking one another.

Some students suggested making compromises were better than fighting.

Sheriff Pohlmann also told the story of how murders are rare in St. Bernard Parish but one occurred a year ago because of a dispute between two teen-agers, which ended with one shooting and killing the other and the murderer arrested. “One is dead and the other’s life is destroyed,’’ he told the students.

Sheriff Pohlmann and Lt. Robert Broadhead of the Sheriff’s Office took part with St. Bernard Middle Principal Sue Deffes, Assistant Principal Angela Seibert, Counselor Paul Tran and 8th-grade students Madison Melerine and Brissa Taylor in a live video broadcast to each home room of the school at 8 a.m..

Students in the school took the pledge that read:

“I will never bring a gun to school.

“I will never use a gun to settle a personal problem or dispute.

“I will use my influence with my friends to keep them from using guns to settle disputes.

“My individual choices and actions, when multiplied by those of young people throughout the country, will make a difference.

“Together, by honoring this pledge, we can reverse the violence and grow up safely.’’

The pledge distributed to students was signed by U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite Jr. of New Orleans, who has encouraged schools to begin conversations with young people about gun violence.