Student Activists And The #NeverAgain Movement Prove They Will Not Be Silenced | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Student Activists And The #NeverAgain Movement Prove They Will Not Be Silenced

Student walkouts across the country and protests at the Florida capitol call for gun control.

206
Student Activists And The #NeverAgain Movement Prove They Will Not Be Silenced
Photo via Redd Angelo on Unsplash

After the horrific mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students and survivors have rallied together to ensure that this tragedy will create a change in our country’s gun laws.

Immediately following the shooting, students from the school could be seen in interviews calling on our legislation to take action. So often we receive “thoughts” and “prayers” from our representatives after these tragic events, but no concrete plans for change are made.

Students from Parkland decided they would not be forgotten like so many of the other mass shootings in our country.

Two students seen regularly on the news speaking out are Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg. Gonzalez (@Gonzalez4Change on Twitter) is one of the leaders in organizing the #NeverAgain movement and the March for Our Lives that will take place in Washington next month.

Hogg and Gonzalez have also been the target of a heinous conspiracy theory that has labeled them as "crisis actors" by many who oppose gun control. The conspiracy cost one aide to a republican house member his job for sending the false information to a reporter at the Tampa Bay Times.

On Tuesday students from Stoneman Douglas arrived in Tallahassee, Florida’s state capital, in an attempt to persuade lawmakers to consider gun reform. That same day the Legislature had a chance to reconsider a bill that could ban assault rifles. Students watched from the gallery of the Legislature as their representatives voted to block reconsideration of this bill.

Through the obstacles these student activists have faced, they continue to make their voices heard. The students in attendance spoke out after the legislative meeting, and it was clear they would not be discouraged.

Delaney Tarr was one student who spoke to the crowds after, and she stated that lawmakers who are not on their side will be voted out.

"No longer can you take money from the NRA...we are coming after every single one of you & demanding that you make a change" - Delaney Tarr pic.twitter.com/9kAZfznZ3Y

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) February 21, 2018

Wednesday the survivors showed out in great numbers at the capitol again in protest of the Legislators’ actions the previous day.

Students in Florida and around the country have been performing walkouts in solidarity with Parkland. Their goal is to show lawmakers that students have a right to safety in their own school-- and this safety starts with gun reform.

Twitter has been a means for students to organize and plan these protests. A Twitter account Student Walkout Against Gun Violence (@StudentsWalkout) used the platform to unite students all over America to walkout on Feb. 21, and says they plan to have more walkouts to follow.

The #NeverAgain movement is quickly gaining and maintaining momentum. The students involved are proving that they are the future and their voices matter. When the adults have fallen short in protecting them, they have stepped up and become their own advocates.

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

10 Signs You Work In A Restaurant

There's always chaos in the restaurant business.

278
10 Signs You Work In A Restaurant
Brisanis

Working in the restaurant industry is possibly the most fundamentally challenging occupation I have ever experienced when it comes to hospitality and customer service. When you go to a five-star restaurant you expect the time of your life, a two hour getaway, a walk through another time period (rustic Italy, France, Spain, etc), or simply a honeymoon undergo. What you don't see are the behind the scenes scut work: carrying trays, polishing glassware and silverware, kitchen chaos, the list is endless. Now, I'm not saying being a host, server, or bartender is the worst thing in the whole wide world, there are definitely worse things. But the fact of the matter is that it isn't always sunshine and rainbows. In the two years that I have spent in restaurant and customer service, I have spoken my share of expletives, yelled at kitchen staff, and dealt with not-so-happy guests. It isn't easy to keep a bright and shiny smile on your face when all you want to do is choke every person who walks near you. Anyone who has spent even two weeks working in a restaurant understands the rigor and stress that comes with it. Restaurant culture is a tiny world in and of itself that operates on its own principles and creates its own society. It even has its own language. The sayings "runner", "corner", and "on a bus" wouldn't make sense to anyone otherwise. My mother and I both work in a restaurant and the best advice I can give someone going out to eat is to treat us like people. Yes...believe it or not we are people, people. Say "please" and "thank you", or stack your cleared plates before a busser gets to the table. Trust me, the gesture goes a lot farther than you may think.

So, if you work in a restaurant, you can relate with the following points. If not, check out how the brain of a restaurant service (or any customer service) worker actually works. See if you can identify any crazy weird habits your friends have a tendency to partake in.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

11 Things I Learned My Freshman Year of College

Not everything you learn in college can be found in a textbook.

252
Breanna Vogel
Breanna Vogel

One of the scariest things we will ever face in our life is going to college. Many of us move away to a new town, join new organizations, and make new friends. We are expected to study, have a social life, relationships, maybe work, and be healthy. It seems pretty easy to do, and in high school all we wanted to do was graduate and move on to this next chapter of our lives. If you are in high school, here are some things that you can learn from before you get to college. If you have already been through your freshman year of college, hopefully you can relate to the things I have learned in college.

Keep Reading...Show less
how to get away with murder
Tumblr

It's about that time where we are too tired to do anything productive, too cold to leave bed, and too lazy to find a new show to watch so we result to re-runs.

For all of you home-bodies, for all of you cold weather haters, here are my suggestions for this holiday break. Let the binging begin!

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

12 Long-Term Relationship Milestones

You've got a keeper if you've made it to any of these milestones.

671
couple on the beach
Pexels

You've been together for so long. It's great. And as the time spent in your relationship grows, you hit certain milestones where you know it's real. These can be make-or-break moments, or just little things where you finally realize that you're both doing it. Everybody hits these milestones, no matter how long it takes; they're inevitable.

You know you've made it when you hit these long-term relationship milestones.

Keep Reading...Show less
10 Of The Best Shows To Binge Watch Over Winter Break

As the semester is coming to an end, most of us are going to have more free time on our hands. This calls for binge watching a new show on Netflix and really using this break to relax from the stress of school. Here are some of the best shows on Netflix that you should be watching.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments