To the Editor:
After the Parkland shooting, as has been the case with countless other school shootings, the conversation about gun safety has once again been reignited. Footage from inside the school and eyewitness accounts have terrified us to the point that we can no longer continue abiding the status quo.
Since the tragic events that took place in nearby Sandy Hook, nothing has changed. Mass shootings, especially those in schools, continue to occur at an alarming rate. The conversation erupts every time a large number of people are killed, but no action is taken, often due to the staunch obstruction of any significant laws or regulations by the National Rifle Association.
March for Our Lives is an organizational effort led by students from Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., a movement which has since gone nationwide. On March 24, people across the country will be marching to demand that the protection of innocent lives is prioritized over the protection of firearms. Students from across Connecticut are organizing to march at the state Capitol in Hartford, and I urge anyone who advocates for rational gun legislation to join us.
As a sophomore in high school, I’ve sat through countless lockdown drills. I’ve seen countless news stories about mass shootings in schools, where thoughts, prayers, and condolences are offered, but no action is taken to prevent more deaths. It’s disgraceful that politicians value the campaign contributions they receive from the NRA more than the lives of innocent American students, and in order for that to change, action must be taken.
Buses will be leaving from Joel Barlow High School to transport people to the march in Hartford at 11 a.m. on March 24. Email [email protected] for further information.
Buster Whaley
Windy Hill Road, Redding