The Different Drummer Wrote:
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> “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.”
> - Kyra
>
> If the shooter in Parkland, Florida had been named
> Mohamad, we can be sure that Donald Trump would
> have immediately taken to Twitter in an effort to
> use the tragedy as proof for the need of his
> Muslim ban. If instead, it was Jesus or Jose, the
> subject of those Tweets would have been his border
> wall. Instead, the killer was just a run of the
> mill domestic terrorist who used a gun to kill 17
> people in a high school. Therefore, we will be
> told to offer thoughts and prayers and ignore that
> this was the eighth school shooting in this new
> year. To do otherwise politicizes the tragedy and
> disrespects the victims and survivors and their
> families.
>
> Bullshit.
>
> America failed the students, staff, and families
> of the Stoneman Douglas High School. We put the
> profits of the gun industry ahead of the lives of
> our children and allowed this needless cycle of
> death to continue. We elected politicians who we
> knew were in the pockets of the NRA, ignoring all
> the other previous school shootings and letting
> the students from Columbine and Sandy Hook to die
> in vain. We allowed hopes and prayers to replace
> action.
>
> The survivors of our latest mass shooting are
> having none of it. David Hogg, a senior and editor
> at the school’s TV station faced death by
> pulling out a camera during the shooting so that
> he and his fellow students could “get the
> message out there, about how we want change to be
> brought about.” He continued the next day by
> stating “when you don’t take action, things
> like this eventually will happen to you. And that
> is not acceptable...Don’t stop fighting because
> children will continue to die if we don’t take a
> stand now.”
>
> When right-wing commentator Tomi Lahren callously
> politicized the pain of these students by stating
> that “this isn't about a gun it's about another
> lunatic”, the students fought back. Carly Novell
> claimed the high ground on the debate by pointing
> out that she was the one “hiding in a closet for
> 2 hours.” From the perspective of a person whose
> life is forever changed by the incident, she
> stated that “Guns give these disgusting people
> the ability to kill other human beings.” The
> student also answered Lahren’s question “Can
> the Left let the families grieve for even 24 hours
> before they push their anti-gun and anti-gun owner
> agenda?” with blunt honesty. “While we were in
> there we were still talking about gun control and
> how something needs to change. We were in a closet
> and were still thinking about this...There is no
> waiting period...This is what needs to change.”
>
> The issue of gun violence is a storyline that can
> easily lead to cynicism. Trump’s first comments
> on the tragedy didn’t even mention guns,
> substituting the need to work on the issue of
> mental health. This after he signed a law revoking
> the ability of those “who weren't able to manage
> their affairs because of ‘marked subnormal
> intelligence, or mental illness, incompetency,
> condition, or disease’” from purchasing a gun.
> However, the bravery of these students in speaking
> out in a time of immense pain is a sign of hope.
> If six and seven-year-olds dying in Sandy Hook
> could not shame the American people into a
> meaningful debate on this subject, perhaps angry
> teenagers can force the issue.
> ____________________________________________
> Carl Petersen is a parent and special education
> advocate, elected member of the Northridge East
> Neighborhood Council and was a Green Party
> candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board
> race. During the campaign, he was endorsed by
> Network for Public Education (NPE) Action and Dr.
> Diane Ravitch called him a “strong supporter of
> public schools.” His past blogs can be found at
> www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com.
>
> The article with complete annotations can be found
> at
>
https://www.opednews.com/articles/Finding-Hope-in-
> Florida-by-Carl-Petersen-School-Shootings-180216-3
> 02.html
You are a boring loser.