In the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, which claimed 17 victims, many Americans have been forced once more to assess their beliefs on the issue of gun control. In addition to politicians and public figures speaking out, some teen survivors of the shooting have become activists, spearheading a movement called Never Again. Demonstrating amazing examples of how to use social media as a platform for social and political action, some survivors took to Twitter after the shooting, responding to politicians and calling for change. Some have also been interviewed, made speeches, and written op-eds. There was even a lie-in protest at the White House on Monday. If any good came from this horrible tragedy, it is the proof that young people can and will take action to create change in the society that we are inheriting. Here are some resources to help you support the survivors of Parkland and support the issue of gun control.
1. Know the Facts: The most important part of actively contributing to the national discussion about any policy issue is staying up to date with information and news about the issue, as well as the basic arguments on both sides and some of the more nuanced aspects of the discussion. Some great resources include: this explanation of the pros and cons of gun control (as seen by contemporary Americans), this comparison of U.S. Gun Policy to other countries, this breakdown of pure facts and statistics about gun control, these lists of mass shootings in recent years, and this explanation of the current state of gun control in Congress. If you want more information, all you have to do is Google gun control and you’ll find more articles, op-eds, and polls than you could ever read.
2. Support the Organizations: There are organizations that you can donate to if you have the resources like Everytown for Gun Safety, The Brady Campaign, and more. If you want to support the Never Again movement, they have a gofundme page. If you don’t have the resources available to donate, you can still help by keeping track of and supporting the organizations’ campaigns on social media and tell others about these amazing, impactful activists working for greater gun control.
3. Contact Your Representatives: If you don’t know how to do this, websites like 5calls and programs like Resistbot can help. Please take the time to contact your state representatives in Congress and let them know that you care about gun control. Also, here’s a great article by the Washington Post that will tell you how much money your representatives have received from the NRA. After all, knowledge is power.
4. Participate in Protests: Part of the Parkland students’ Never Again movement is the March for Our Lives, a national protest taking place on March 24 to demand gun control and safer schools. Women’s March Youth EMPOWER is also calling for a National School Walkout for 17 minutes at 10 am on March 14. There is also another #NationalSchoolWalkout that is being organized separately on Twitter, set to take place at 10 am on April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. If you’re unable to participate, let your friends and family know about them!
5. Speak Out Openly and Respectfully: When you’re passionate about an issue like this, it can be difficult to prevent yourself from responding passionately to those who disagree with you. One of the reasons why gun rights are such a big issue in America is because there isn’t much of a bipartisan effort to work on it. Personally, I am very pro-gun control and sometimes find myself getting really angry when people disagree with me on this. However, nothing is ever going to get done if people just spend their time yelling at each other. Don’t be afraid to speak openly about what you believe in, but remember to be calm and respectful when speaking to others. You’re more likely to change people’s minds (and public policy) through respect and calm responses. Here’s a New York Times op-ed that speaks more about being respectful while talking about gun control.
6. Vote: If you’re 18 or over, you should be voting. Use your vote, use your voice, be an active American citizen and support the people you think will bring genuine change to our gun policies (or whatever other policies you’re concerned about!). The 2018 midterms are coming up: please register to vote and research the platforms of the representatives you’re voting for.
If you want to know more about the high school activists and survivors of the Parkland shooting, you can read about them here, here, and here.