Town Hall Tackles National Gun Debate
- Student survivors in Florida confront lawmakers
A week ago, they were ducking and dodging the rapid fire of bullets from the barrel of an automatic rifle. On Wednesday, they were on national television leading a Town Hall meeting and confronting lawmakers to ditch the NRA and finally tackle gun reform.
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During the CNN Town Hall event, survivors of last week’s brutal Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida, took on the responsibility of ending America’s sick infatuation with firearms. The students-turned-gun-control advocates, their teachers, and their parents took direct aim at Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, as well as Rep. Ted Deutch, by pointedly asking if they would support banning certain assault-style rifles and if they would refuse to take money from the NRA.
“We would like to know why do we have to be the ones to do this? Why do we have to speak out to the (state) Capitol? Why do we have to march on Washington, just to save innocent lives?” senior Ryan Deitsch boldly proposed to the congressional leaders.
Deitsch told Rubio he had been doing active shooter drills since he was in elementary school. In fact, during 5th Grade, he once was forced to hide in a bathroom for 3 hours while his school was on lockdown due to reports of an active shooter.
“Now seven years later, I am in a closet with 19 other kids waiting, fearing for my own life,” he said. “Why do we have to be the ones to lead the change,” he demanded?
Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed during the Florida melee, took a moment to make an emotional plea to his senate representative.
“Sen. Rubio, I want to like you. Here’s the problem. … Your comments this week and those of our President have been pathetically weak,” he said to raucous applause and cheers. “Look at me and tell me guns were the factor in the hunting of our kids in the school this week.”
His rancor was mostly directed at Donald Trump, who oddly suggested earlier this week that teachers should be armed with guns and directed to engage in a shootout with anyone who threatens their classroom. However, he soon found himself engaged in a war of words with Sen, Rubio, who said: “The problems we are facing here today cannot be solved by gun laws alone.”
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For what it’s worth, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel was extremely supportive of the kids and their parents, saying, “My generation, we did not get it done. You will get it done.”
Broward County school system superintendent Robert Runcie told the audience that instead of arming teachers with guns, they should be armed with more money.
He also applauded the students for awakening a sleeping nation and starting a national movement.
“These are the young people that are going to change the world for the better,” he said. “And let me tell you, our students are ready for this moment. They have been preparing for this moment.”
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During the CNN Town Hall event, survivors of last week’s brutal Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida, took on the responsibility of ending America’s sick infatuation with firearms. […] “America’s sick infatuation with firearms.” There it is in a nutshell, IMO. The root cause of the problem. As a society, WE have a very “sick infatuation” with all kinds of destructive nonsense in this country. We have a culture that shamelessly promotes Violence (and all manner of other toxic isht) in this country. Just look around you. Destructive crap can be found Everywhere. From Hollywood to New York city, New York. From Fairbanks, Alaska to the islands of Hawaii. But I digress. I watched a bit of CNN’s Town Hall event last night. Emotions ran high, understandably. And I give props to Senators Rubio and Nelson and Rep. Deutch for showing up and facing those kids (and that… Read more »