Never Again | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

Never Again

A message to the leaders of the #NeverAgain Movement

154
Never Again
Bob Howard

When Stephen Paddock decided to open fire at a Las Vegas, ultimately killing 58 people, I was stunned. When Adam Lanza entered Sandy Hook elementary and ruthlessly murdered 20 students and six staff members, I was shocked and dejected. But you never think it's going to be you. For some odd reason, we like to pretend as if we are immune to something as catastrophic as a mass shooting. I personally never thought in a million years that I'd be effected by something of this magnitude.

Then it happened. On February 14, 2018, Nikolas Cruz took his AR-15 to Majory Stoneman Douglas High School and killed 17 students and staff members. Yes, all acts of violence are painful, but there's something extra you feel when it happens where you grew up. It's different when you see your friends directly grieving about people they were friends with, and when you have to text or call your friends who go to that school to make sure that they are fine.

With that being said, I'd first like to apologize to the families and friends who lost loved ones that day. I'm sorry that we allowed this to happen, that this was even a possibility. No student, teacher, or staff member should ever enter a school wondering if it'll be their last. Even as I sit here writing this from across the country in Los Angeles, I can feel your pain, the anguish, the sorrow, and the anger you are feeling.

Even in light of such a devastating tragedy, how we as a community have rallied around the students of Douglas makes me more proud than ever to say that I grew up in South Florida. When Emma Gonzalez and her classmates called out Congress to take action, then went on a nationally televised program and challenged established politicians, it reaffirmed my belief that the #NeverAgain movement has arrived, and is here to stay. When I see students from schools that are both close and far from Douglas marching to show their support, I see a unified community that will do anything and everything possible to make sure this never happens again anywhere.

To the students who are fighting day in and day out for change, people will call you crazy, disrespectful, and will ask you to "tone it down". Don't ever give in. After all, we are where we are today because those who came before us never quit. We're sons, daughters, and grandchildren of generations of immigrants who had to scratch, claw, and fight for everything they have today. And when you feel as though there's nothing you can do, remember Peter Wang and the way he held the door open so others could escape. Remember Coach Aaron Feis, who used his body to shield students. Remember the students who had their futures taken away from them that day. Don't ever stop pushing for change because South Florida will be with you here the rest of the way, supporting and fighting with you until we see a safer United States.



Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

2777
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

301903
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments