Content warning: this article mentions topics of gun violence.
In 2018, President Donald Trump created the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board. This board was devised for survivors, educators, and gun control advocates following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy. Now, it is subject to disbandment by his very same administration.
The FSSCEAB consisted of 26 members who worked toward improving school safety and security. These members provided a variety of perspectives, from education expertise to law enforcement advice, and social work recommendations.
According to the K-12 Dive, in 2024, the board met only once in October but was quickly destroyed after members received memos on Jan. 20 from Benjamine Huffman, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Of those who received the memo, three board members stated it included a plan to release the current board members. The memo was taken from EdSource and conveyed that “future committee activities will be focused solely on advancing our critical mission to protect the homeland.”
However, many people argue that school safety should not be political. Board member Tony Montalto, whose daughter Gina was killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, released the following statement on Jan. 24:
“America’s schools are critical infrastructure, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, and school safety is not a partisan issue — it’s a moral imperative,”
Federal School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board Member, Tony Montalto
Montalto went on to state, “As a father who knows the pain of losing a child in a preventable school shooting, I urge the administration to act with urgency and empathy. The lives of our nation’s children and educators are too important to play politics with.”
This was just the start of the FSSCEAB. According to Forbes, 2024 saw the least U.S. gun deaths in five years. This decrease is due to the efforts of gun control groups like the FSSCEAB.
Moreover, Trump issued an executive order on Feb. 7, ordering Pam Bondi, his recently appointed attorney general, to review Biden’s work to lessen gun violence and form a “plan of action.” Bondi is ordered to formulate a plan within 30 days to reverse any policies deemed violating a person’s Second Amendment rights.
Not to mention, he issued this order a week before the anniversary of the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. By rolling back gun control efforts, Trump is also dismissing the pain, trauma, and activism that emerged from the shooting.
During a National Rifle Association convention in May of last year, Trump told members, “In my second term, we will roll back every Biden attack on the Second Amendment — the attacks are fast and furious — starting the minute that Crooked Joe shuffles his way out of the White House.”
Therefore, it is clear that Trump is working to fulfill this promise, reversing all the prior gun control reformation that Biden built during his four-year presidency. This includes Biden’s efforts to incorporate regulations on ghost guns, also known as homemade firearms, increasing background checks on gun sales, and stronger oversight of illegal gun sellers.
“Remember the next time that a mass shooting happens, Trump did everything in his power to enable it, not prevent it.”
Natalie Fall, March For Our Lives executive director
Trump is trying to create looser restrictions on guns, even though the restrictions are in place to protect kids. As someone who attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, these actions can feel like I am reliving the trauma, knowing the policies meant to safeguard another tragedy like mine are being reversed. Undoing these measures feels like the suffering every victim of gun violence endured led to no meaningful or lasting change, demoralizing to several survivors.
When is enough genuinely enough?