High school students at MSD in Parkland, Florida who survived the February 14 mass shooting there took unprecedented control of the response afterward, launching the influential #NEVERAGAIN gun reform movement and holding the massive March For Our Lives rally just one month later on March 24.
In this post, a timeline of my thoughts in the hours, days, and weeks following the tragedy, as we witnessed it morph into the dawn of a revolution.
Flashpoint
When I first learned of the shooting, my initial reaction was the familiar mix of anger and hopelessness that comes with these too-common events:
I thought Trump's "law and order" presidency was gonna put an end to these mass shootings? No? Just more thoughts and prayers, then? #Parkland
— tyler (@tylerc) February 14, 2018
#Parkland edition. @TheOnion has published the same article over and over again for years bc NOTHING EVER HAPPENS
— tyler (@tylerc) February 14, 2018
this country is fucked as long as a third who are eligible to vote never do & another third vote out of spite against anything sensible. the rest of us aren't enough. #parkland #guncontrol
— tyler (@tylerc) February 15, 2018
But while I was preparing for the usual narrative, Parkland students were busy rewriting it, as we would begin to see in the coming days.
A challenger appears
The tide was turning less than a day and a half after the shooting, which came into clarity as news outlets interviewed Parkland students:
listening to #parkland student/survivor @car_nove on @CNN right now, I firmly believe our only hope is the generation who grew up under these constant shootings becoming adults and voting these NRA fuckers out of office
— tyler (@tylerc) February 16, 2018
#parkland students taking this tragedy into their own hands and speaking out LOUDLY for #gunreformnow is legit the most inspiring thing in this country rn
— tyler (@tylerc) February 16, 2018
what a stunning absence of political leadership we have in this country that #parkland students knew they must take this into their own hands—that our current leaders will do nothing for them or anyone else
— tyler (@tylerc) February 16, 2018
It seemed almost unbelievable on its face: was this really where we were at as a leaderless nation? But these students knew it, and so they stepped up.
Never Again
By the weekend, the students’ #NEVERAGAIN movement was in full swing, and Emma González emerged as its leader with her barnburner of a speech:
standing strong with @sarahchad_ and #parkland students who refuse to be another statistic for our useless leaders to ignore—#NEVERAGAIN
— tyler (@tylerc) February 16, 2018
WOW WOW WOW this speech by Emma Gonzalez. I am FIRED UP—these #Parkland students are taking charge against guns, the NRA, and bought-off politicians in the strongest way I've ever seen #NEVERAGAIN
— tyler (@tylerc) February 18, 2018
If our politicians and the gun lobby were wondering if this #NEVERAGAIN movement would amount to anything, look outside today and you'll find the answer. These students are amazing. #NationalWalkoutDay
— tyler (@tylerc) March 14, 2018
In just a few weeks, they had completely changed the narrative on gun reform in this country and led a successful national school walkout, while gearing up for an incredible event that would tie it all together.
March For Our Lives
The past month of organizing culminated in the March For Our Lives, bringing the largest protest crowd to D.C. since the Women’s March:
#MarchForOurLives!!!! I almost can't believe this was put together in one month. This generation has started a movement and it's not going away. https://t.co/1SsE28QaV3
— tyler (@tylerc) March 24, 2018
“Welcome to the revolution”, student Cameron Kasky declared to open up the rally, which featured kids—only kids—affected by gun violence speaking truth to power, including a stunning silent protest by Emma González.
Several musical guests were invited to perform, but did not speak—by design.
it was so smart of the #MarchForOurLives student organizers to keep the usual suspects you see at every left-leaning political event off the stage, and instead deliver their own next-generation message
— tyler (@tylerc) March 24, 2018
#MarchForOurLives was not only moving & powerful, it was fully coherent: there's a crystal clear cause & objective to rally around; it may succeed where other protests haven't in identifying useless politicians & replacing them
— tyler (@tylerc) March 25, 2018
also props to the #MarchForOurLives student organizers for consciously incorporating tragedies other than their own & amplifying the voices of black students from around the country who have tried for years to be heard
— tyler (@tylerc) March 25, 2018
After the march, what’s next? More events, but ultimately, a sustained effort to find NRA-funded politicians and VOTE THEM OUT. Thanks to the MSD students and the kids joined with them, the revolution has just begun.
