Living in the state’s capital can have its advantages, like being able to take part in rallies and protests in support of some pretty amazing causes. With the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, Floridians are flooding to the Capitol to protest the lax regulations on guns in the United States, particularly assault weapons. There is a bit of conflict on what qualifies as an assault weapon, but a general definition is any form of automatic or semiautomatic firearm like those used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shootings. Here are some ways to stay involved in the fight for gun reform here in Tallahassee.
1. Rally to Tally For Gun Reform
Courtesy: Rally to Tally Facebook Page
In light of the recent mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, South Florida leaders brought ten buses and over 500 people to Tallahassee for the “Rally to Tally for Gun Reform.” Led by Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, the Miami-Dade Dems, Broward Democratic party and Women’s March Florida, the group stopped in Orlando, St. Augustine, Gainesville/Ocala, Palm Beach, Miami, Broward, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Tampa, Melbourne, The Villages, Martin-St. Lucie-Indian River, Pensacola, Crestview and Marianna. Their goal was to lobby for better gun safety laws in person when they arrived in Tallahassee at 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 26 at the Capitol Building. For more information about this revolutionary event, visit their Facebook event.
2. March for Our Lives Tallahassee
Courtesy: March for Our Lives Tallahassee Facebook page
Current FSU student and Stoneman Douglas graduate Matthew Harris has started a Facebook page for the March for Our Lives in Tallahassee on March 24 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Stay updated on location and how to get involved through the event page.
3.Write/Call Your Representative
Courtesy: Wikipedia
Whether you’re a Tally native or an out-of-state student, a great way to get conversations rolling is by writing letters and calling the offices of your home and Tallahassee representatives as well as representatives in areas that have been affected by this crisis. The following are Florida representatives that have received funding from the NRA according to opensercrets.org:
Marco Rubio
Brian Mast
John Mica
Carlos Curbelo
Jeff Miller
Gus Bilirakis
Mario Diaz-Balart
Bill Posey
Dennis Ross
Neal Dunn
Ander Crenshaw
Ron DeSantis
Matt Gaetz
Francis Rooney
Tom Rooney
John Rutherford
Daniel Webser
Ted Yoho
4.Stay Informed
Courtesy: Indian Association of Denmark
People like to spread lies in Washington, that’s a fact. By following multiple news sites, both left and right leaning, you can hear a full story from both perspectives. Networks like Fox and CNN are the most notably right and left-leaning news outlets respectively. But other platforms like One America News, CBSN, HLN and MSNBC are also mainstream news media that are easily accessible. Also, looking into online publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, BBC, The New Yorker, Politico and others are ways to stay informed without having to watch TV. At the end of the day, to be able to participate in educated and helpful dialogue about gun reform, we have to stay educated. Being able to know what’s going on and ways to better our country that are obtainable is a major key in even starting the conversations.