Many pro-gun adults shame the teen victims of the Parkland shooting online all while complaining about their lack of maturity.
Michelle Kumar
The shooting in Parkland, Florida, was devastating. Regardless of what side of the gun debate you’re on, there is no justification for the loss of life or the horror of what people went through that day. With the many other mass shootings that have occurred, we have been focused on the perpetrator. What’s interesting in this case, however, is that we are focused on the survivors alone. This would be great news if it weren’t for all the wrong reasons.
Fully grown adults across the nation have taken this opportunity to berate victims who had to go through this horrible situation. Thoughts and prayers flew out the window the minute the Parkland teens started speaking up. Pro-gun advocates ask that we don’t politicize tragedy by asking for gun-law reform. Instead, they turn around with blatant hypocrisy to steal the spotlight, by using Parkland to try to debunk the Russia investigation, slander law enforcement, and get guns in the hands of teachers. There is not a more perfect representation of trying to manipulate a tragedy to push your agenda.
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Outspoken conservative Dinesh D’Souza took to Twitter to shame the survivors for asking for some sort of gun-law reform, purely because he doesn’t believe in their position. D’Souza quoted a picture of survivors crying in response to the Florida Legislature voting down a bill about gun-law reform and said, “Worst news since their parents told them to get summer jobs.” Not only does this do nothing for his argument, it’s a disgusting attack that was unprovoked and filled with assumptions.
Young people have always been called lazy until they speak up and demand change. But when they do speak up, they’re just dumb and don’t know what they’re talking about. The survivors of the Parkland shooting are high-school students who are capable of forming an argument based on their experience. When the shooting occurred at Sandy Hook, the kids were too young to tell you what they wanted you to do to to help them — the Parkland teens aren’t.
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Youth across the nation have mobilized to rally behind the Parkland victims’ cause of gun-law reform. They have held rallies, staged walkouts, and refuse to back down. They’ve managed to get a somewhat definitive response from a very conservative president and have not shied away from the tough questions, yet they are still underestimated.
This would not be the first time the youth of this country have been overlooked. If we reflect on the past, every major movement or change has been brought on by young people, such as the protests against the Vietnam War or the Civil Rights Movement. There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of those times.
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Gun-control advocates are just as bad by spending their free time blaming the pro-gun side, but at least they aren’t bullying a bunch of teenagers. Pro-gun advocates have completely overshadowed the weight of the issue this shooting has brought about. It’s much easier to blame cops, bully victims for being immature and hide behind their rights than discuss gun-law reform. The Second Amendment may exist, but it doesn’t justify innocent kids dying at school and the belittlement of survivors who witnessed those deaths. The Parkland teens aren’t crisis actors and they’re certainly not disrespectful for challenging authority, especially when those in charge refuse to listen because the tragedy doesn’t fit their agenda.