#NeverAgain?
It’s been two weeks since the Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that killed at least 17 people and injured at least 14 more. Since then, there has been a lot of talk about establishing common-sense gun control laws, while well-worn debates begin once more about Second Amendment rights, the role of mental health, and background checks.
It’s common for the public to demand action on gun control in the days following a tragic school shooting–and also common for Congress to not take up any legislative change. But this time, some people hope, it may be different. Why? Because this time, the movement is being spearheaded by those it most affects: students themselves, who are organizing behind the hashtag #NeverAgain.
What Have Students Accomplished So Far?
In the days following the shooting, many of the young survivors spoke out publicly about their ordeal. One of them, Emma Gonzalez, made a passionate speech demanding Congress and Trump to take action to protect people against guns and gun violence.
On Wednesday, the one-week anniversary of the shooting, student survivors traveled to their state capitol to meet with legislators, attend a rally, and speak out about gun violence. The day before, the Florida legislature defeated a motion to consider a bill which would ban assault rifles. The students broke into groups to meet with their representatives, asking for a total ban on semi-automatic rifles, such as the AR-15 that was used at their high school. Though such a ban is unlikely, it’s possible that the government may consider measures such as raising the minimum purchasing age to 21, creating a waiting period, and making it harder for people with mental illnesses to access the rifles. The governor of Florida, Republican Rick Scott, has also organized three committees to look at school safety, mental health, and gun safety issues.
But laws take time to change. In the meantime, activists are using their purchasing power to influence companies to break ties with the National RIfle Association (NRA), a pro-gun lobbying group. At least a dozen companies have done this so far, including the First National Bank of Omaha; Delta and United Airlines; several rental car companies including Herts, Avis, Alamo, Enterprise, and National; MetLife insurance company, and others.
So What’s Next?
So far, two major events are planned. The first is the National School Walkout on March 14 at 10:00 am in each time zone, which calls for students, faculty, parents, administrators, and aids to walk out of school for 17 minutes (one minute for each person who was killed in Florida). The school walkout is being organized by the same people who organized the Women’s March, the largest single-day protest in American history.
Ten days later, the March For Our Lives will take place on March 24 in Washington, D.C. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney have already donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the march. The goal of both events is to demand action from Congress on gun control laws.