In the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, there has been a surge in political activism amongst Parkland community members. The 17 victims that died in the massacre are survived by their families, fellow classmates, teachers, and colleagues. The survivors have organized a grassroots movement called “Never Again”. This group is lobbying for lawmakers to introduce a policy that will make more rigorous background checks on people purchasing guns. Some of the activists have even suggested banning assault rifles like the AR-15 (which was the weapon of choice by the gunman Nicholas Cruz).
The student activists have been given a platform to speak on several cable news networks like CNN and MSNBC. In their appearance on the networks, the students have expressed concern with public officials offering kind words, prayers, and condolences, but no action.
All around the country, people are mourning the death of the students and staff at Parkland. Despite this sorrow, there are people who believed that the Parkland Massacre was a hoax, and the student survivors are crisis actors who show up during tragedies and collaborate with “the left” to launch attacks on the Second Amendment.
On February 22, seven days after the mass shooting, the number one trending video on YouTube was a conspiracy video created by radio host, Alex Jones. The video made claims that student survivor, David Hogg, was a paid actor.
The idea that the student survivors of a massacre were paid actors, who conspired with liberals to push an anti-gun agenda, is absurd. The tragedy that took place in Parkland should ignite a much needed discussion on gun reform, not a conspiracy theory.
In a panel discussion on CNN, former congressman Jack Kingston accused liberals of politicizing tragic events like mass shootings to pursue a political agenda.
Kingston also suggested that it’s insensitive to talk about gun reform directly after a tragedy because the victims’ families are mourning.
However, an important question remains: when is the right time to talk about gun reform? Outside of tragic events, the conversation rarely comes up. It seems wrong not to talk about it. If public officials continue the pattern of offering their condolences to victims’ families without any action, the Parkland survivors and their movement “Never Again” will only be a short-lived hashtag because unfortunately another tragedy like this will occur.
In response to the student’s activism, conservative Ben Shapiro sympathized with the student’s trauma and emotions. However, in a segment on his show, Shapiro suggested that he does not believe the Parkland survivors (students) should be leading the charge on complicated gun policy. He suggested that they are too young and not well informed.
However, some of the policy changes the students are requesting are not new. Discussion over extensive background checks and restricting the purchase of assault rifles have occurred for a long time. The voices behind the activism are young, but the discourse is the same.
The idea that student activists are too young to lead the conversation on gun reform is a distraction. The idea that student survivors are crisis actors and are a part of a left-wing conspiracy to limit gun ownership is a diversion. The suggestion that there should be armed teachers and coaches in schools, as opposed to implementing actual gun reform, is a deflection. These distractions are meant to deter the public from staying focused on the issue at hand, which is gun reform.
In a town hall meeting following the tragedy at Parkland, Senator Marco Rubio suggested that “Our attention span on issues in politics lasts for seven to ten days. Afterward, we are only one tweet or story away from focusing on something else.” It’s important that we stay focused.