Marjory Stoneman Douglas Students Turn From Shooting Victims to Political Activists

The past two weeks have been filled with terror, grief, and anger for the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSD). On Feb. 13, the Parkland, Fl. high school was the target of the latest mass shooting in the United States, leaving 17 dead and 14 more injured. In the wake of this horrific tragedy, the Stoneman Douglas students refuse to allow the loss of their classmates, friends, and teachers to go without action.

The students from Parkland, Fl. have gone from being the victims of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history to being political activists influencing gun reform in the past two weeks with dedication and passion that shows no signs of slowing down. They have been using the slogan, #NeverAgain, as they rally the Florida state government for change. In a vote taken on Wednesday, Feb. 21, the Florida state legislature struck down a gesture to raise a bill to block the sale and distribution of assault rifles. Around 100 students from Stoneman Douglas made their way to the state capital of Tallahassee to support a possible bill in favor of stricter gun laws. Although the Republican-led legislature voted 71-36 against the bill, it doesn’t seem as though it will slow the efforts of the students from MSD.

Led by the activism taking place in Parkland, students nationwide have participated in planned walkouts to protest inaction by the United States government. The walkouts have taken place from Florida all the way through Washington state. Daniel Gelillo, a student at Richard Montgomery High in Rockville, Md. helped organize his school’s protest. He stated, “All people in this country, particularly children, should feel safe and should not live in fear of a gunman killing them in their school, place of worship, or a nightclub. We expect our leaders to do whatever is required to keep us safe. That has not happened.”

Not only are the Stoneman Douglas students sparking activism throughout the country, but they are reaching nationwide platforms to call for action on gun reform. On Wednesday, students and parents from MSD questioned lawmakers and the spokesperson for the National Rifle Association (NRA) at a CNN hosted town hall event. Senator Marco Rubio and NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch took the brunt of the questioning from a crowd very much in favor of restricting access to assault weapons. As a result of the direct scrutiny the NRA has been under since the Parkland massacre, several businesses have publicly announced that they have cut ties with the pro-gun interest group. Big corporations such as Hertz, MetLife, and LifeLock have all made these announcements.

The students have also announced plans for the “March For Our Lives” event to take place across the country on March 24. The march is a planned protest against gun violence that is in support of stricter gun control. The demonstration planned for Washington, D.C. is expected to bring in 500,000 protesters.

“This movement, created by students, led by students, is based on emotion. It is based on passion and it is based on pain,” said Delaney Tarr, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.