Teens Who Survived This Week’s School Shooting Are Slamming People Who Say It’s “Not About Guns”
"We're children, you guys are the adults. You need to take some action."
Yesterday the US endured its 18th school shooting so far this year. Of those 18, eight have resulted in serious injuries or deaths. It’s February.
In the aftermath of the attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which has claimed at least 17 lives, the US has returned to what is becoming an uncomfortably routine conversation: thousands of people call for gun control, and a politicians respond by saying policy responses that would lead to fewer dead kids are somehow unacceptably “politicising” a tragedy.
Can the Left let the families grieve for even 24 hours before they push their anti-gun and anti-gunowner agenda? My goodness. This isn't about a gun it's about another lunatic. #FloridaShooting
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) February 15, 2018
This time, the kids themselves are hitting back. The teens who survived yesterday’s shooting are taking to social media to slam people who say this isn’t about gun control, and to make it clear that yes, this is political.
See for example these tweets from 17-year-old survivor Carly Novell, who points out that actually, guns are the very reason she spent yesterday hiding in a closet, terrified.
I was hiding in a closet for 2 hours. It was about guns. You weren't there, you don't know how it felt. Guns give these disgusting people the ability to kill other human beings. This IS about guns and this is about all the people who had their life abruptly ended because of guns. https://t.co/XnzhvuN1zd
— carly (@car_nove) February 15, 2018
This is my grandpa. When he was 12 years old, he hid in a closet while his family was murdered during the first mass shooting in America. Almost 70 years later, I also hid in a closet from a murderer. These events shouldn't be repetitive. Something has to change. #douglasstrong pic.twitter.com/nDctTNlUNs
— carly (@car_nove) February 15, 2018
Carly’s not the only one, either. Heaps of the kids from Marjory Stoneman Douglas are taking to Twitter to make a powerful case for gun control, and call on adults to get it together and get it done.
A gun has killed 17 of my fellow classmates. A gun has traumatized my friends. My entire school, traumatized from this tragedy. This could have been prevented. Please stfu tomi https://t.co/qNo03ZE3Ev
— kyra (@longlivekcx) February 15, 2018
why was a student able to terrorize my school mr president https://t.co/rwDRYz3ayx
— nikki (@nikta04) February 14, 2018
do something to make a change for once. your country’s students do not deserve to go through this. if anyone of those Pro-Gun politicians experienced what america’s students are first hand, i promise you attitudes would be entirely different on the matter #stonemanshooting
— ashleigh? (@ashleighallman_) February 15, 2018
Please fight for us, what we went through will be replayed in our minds forever. The physical pain, the mental pain, the emotional pain, all of it caused because of the lack of security on gun accessibility. Make it stop please. https://t.co/RXhQjV45Tl
— Steph (@ohstephany_) February 15, 2018
Here’s teacher Melissa Falkowski, who also lived through yesterday’s shooting, making the point extremely well: no amount of preparation on a school’s part can prevent loss of life unless Congress takes some action.
I hope ever member of Congress saw this interview
Melissa Falkowski, teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas explains how well prepared they were and how many times they drilled for this and still there was nothing they can do
She breaks down when she begs Congress to do something pic.twitter.com/J6y9MK8b0V
— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) February 15, 2018
As student David Hogg put it, “what we really need is action. We can say we’re going to do all these things, thoughts and prayers, but what we need more than that is action. Please, this is the eighteenth one this year. That’s unacceptable.”
“We’re children, you guys are the adults. You need to take some action and play a role. Work together, come over your politics, and get something done.”
Powerful plea from a student who survived the Parkland shooting, David Hogg: “Please! We are children. You guys are, like…the adults. Take action, work together, come over your politics, and get something done.” pic.twitter.com/UcTNungORp
— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) February 15, 2018
That’s an extraordinarily articulate, succinct case for gun control, and it came from a kid who just lived through the most harrowing day of his life. The fact that these kids are alive to speak at all is a miracle; the fact that they’re choosing to face the media and take on some pretty powerful people immediately after spending hours thinking they were about to die is a show of incredible strength.
It’s time to listen to them.