These kids are certainly motivated, but they're not experts. They're still kids with limited life experience and scholarly knowledge, still developing emotionally and physically, and in no way prepared for what happened to them on that awful day.
I feel like they're being exploited - albeit as willing participants - in the gun control debate. They misstate facts with some regularity, and really don't seem interested in engaging in two-way dialog. Now that's completely understandable; they had friends killed and are extremely emotional about their position. And it may well be their intent that it's their way or the highway, but that's not going to get anything sensible accomplished.
Ask Marco Rubio. He's actually been working to try and get things done, and they vehemently attacked and smeared him as an NRA puppet. It might make for great sound bites or rally props, but it wasn't reality. Or ask the Broward Sheriff or FBI, who've basically been given a free pass by these kids despite the evidence that they are more directly responsible for what happened than anyone else.
I would have preferred they got counseling for the horrible event that occurred in their lives. There's plenty of time to be an activist and make an impact for a cause later.
I hope they find peace and healing somewhere in their process, but I fear the current path doesn't lead there.
Just my opinion.
I don't think they're being exploited; it's clear to me that they're doing what they want to do. The ones who aren't interested aren't participating. That's fine too.
The ones that don't think gun controls are the answer have been featured in the media and held counter-protests. That's fine too and I feel just as bad for their losses.
For the most vocal and motivated students-turned-activists, it's their way of not only coping, but trying to turn a horrific experience into positive change. That make sense to me and it's respectable. I feel just as bad for them as I did for past survivors of school shootings who had no voice, retreated and internalized the trauma, many of them reliving it with each subsequent school shooting. Several of the survivors of Sandy Hook, Pulse, Las Vegas, Columbine...were inspired to get active by the Parkland survivors.
The students have recognized what Governor Scott did -- he really went against the NRA which has poured more money into his pockets and secured a lot of votes for him (moreso than any other governor). They just think there's a lot more that needs to be done and they're going to keep pushing, not that they all share the same opinion as to what should be done - that's okay, same as adults engaging in the gun debate.
I do agree that they really stuck it to Rubio, who I generally like. They don't think he's really trying; all talk, no action. Rubio is a savvy adult politician and should expect that kind of criticism, not only when it comes to gun policy.
As for their gun-specific knowledge, I've read more bullshit by purported gun experts and enthusiasts earlier on in this thread than I've heard from these kids who don't claim to be experts. I don't think they need to be matured scholastically or gun experts to understand the impacts of gun violence and be effective at pushing for change. They know what it feels like to watch their friends get slaughtered, hide in closets fearing for their lives, be the object of baseless bullshit and character assassination by the NRA and some of its supporters, be told to just accept and deal with it and that nothing's going to change. That makes them more qualified than almost anyone else to confront the issue, in my opinion.
(03-26-2018, 01:05 PM)HairOfTheDog Wrote: [ -> ]^ So dumb and misleading.
If you thought the other comments were dumb & misleading, check out this one.
![[Image: DZYWqnMWkAAPAdQ.jpg]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZYWqnMWkAAPAdQ.jpg)
(03-27-2018, 06:25 PM)HairOfTheDog Wrote: [ -> ]As for their gun-specific knowledge, I've read more bullshit by purported gun experts and enthusiasts earlier on in this thread than I've heard from these kids who don't claim to be experts. I don't think they need to be matured scholastically or gun experts to understand the impacts of gun violence and be effective at pushing for change. They know what it feels like to watch their friends get slaughtered, hide in closets fearing for their lives, be the object of baseless bullshit and character assassination by the NRA and some of its supporters, be told to just accept and deal with it and that nothing's going to change. That makes them more qualified than almost anyone else to confront the issue, in my opinion.
That's true, they don't know anything about being parents either but they still get pregnant. I say let them march, they need the fresh air and exercise.
Organizers of the demonstration claimed Sunday that some 850,000 people attended the pro-gun control event.
But Virginia-based Digital Design & Imaging Service Inc., which uses aerial photos to calculate crowd sizes, reported the event’s peak crowd size was at 202,796 people.
If Trump can do it so can they.
I feel kinda sad that the one shooting that could have been prevented was not because of government and local failure. All the signs were apparent and all the proper authorities were called to prevent this but it still happened. The NRA or any legal concerned citizens had nothing to do with the local and federal incompetence, yet they have been the ones left defending their rights. It's pitiful.
(03-28-2018, 12:35 PM)Maggot Wrote: [ -> ] (03-27-2018, 06:25 PM)HairOfTheDog Wrote: [ -> ]As for their gun-specific knowledge, I've read more bullshit by purported gun experts and enthusiasts earlier on in this thread than I've heard from these kids who don't claim to be experts. I don't think they need to be matured scholastically or gun experts to understand the impacts of gun violence and be effective at pushing for change. They know what it feels like to watch their friends get slaughtered, hide in closets fearing for their lives, be the object of baseless bullshit and character assassination by the NRA and some of its supporters, be told to just accept and deal with it and that nothing's going to change. That makes them more qualified than almost anyone else to confront the issue, in my opinion.
That's true, they don't know anything about being parents either but they still get pregnant. I say let them march, they need the fresh air and exercise.
That makes no sense. What does getting pregnant have to do with anything? Nothing, that's what.
While they don't have experience being parents and none of them appears to be pregnant (though that's completely irrelevant to the issue at hand), they have very unfortunately experienced a mass shooting.
You have experience being a parent but you have not experienced a mass shooting. But, we'll let you talk about it anyway. You need the outlet.
(03-28-2018, 04:18 PM)BigMark Wrote: [ -> ]Organizers of the demonstration claimed Sunday that some 850,000 people attended the pro-gun control event.
But Virginia-based Digital Design & Imaging Service Inc., which uses aerial photos to calculate crowd sizes, reported the event’s peak crowd size was at 202,796 people.
I think the march in DC was expected to be larger (500,000). There were 800 marches globally, including Los Angeles; Chicago; Miami; Las Vegas; Springfield, Missouri; San Francisco; Dallas; New York City; Birmingham, Alabama; West Palm Beach, Florida; Boise, Idaho; Liverpool, England, etc.
I don't think 850,000 people is an unreasonable estimate of total attendance.
At least a million Americans poured into the streets on Saturday to participate in the hundreds of March for Our Lives events across the nation.
A review by The Hill of official crowd estimates, offered by city administrations and police departments across the country, found nearly a million total protestors across 62 of the nation’s 100 largest cities. More than three dozen cities where marches were held on Saturday did not offer official crowd sizes, though local media outlets reported thousands or tens of thousands of marchers in those cities.
Police and city officials counted more than 200,000 marchers at the largest demonstration, on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. Another 175,000 people took to the streets in Manhattan, according to New York City police.
Officials in Chicago counted 85,000 demonstrators, and the march in Los Angeles brought out another 55,000 people. In Boston, 50,000 people took to the streets, and 30,000 people joined in both Atlanta and Pittsburgh.
In Parkland, Fla., the site of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School school shooting, 20,000 people demonstrated — although many of the students from the school itself were participating in the march in Washington. A hockey team from the high school was participating in a tournament in the Twin Cities, where police estimated 18,000 demonstrators marched.
More than 10,000 people showed up at March for Our Lives events in Houston; Phoenix; Philadelphia; Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Portland, Ore., Milwaukee, Cleveland, Tampa, Fla.; St. Louis, St. Paul, Minn.; and Cincinnati.
Some of the marches on Saturday were smaller affairs. Just 300 marchers turned out in Wichita, Kan., and Corpus Christi, Texas, and 400 showed up in Stockton, Calif., and Fort Wayne, Ind.
But the actual number of demonstrators who showed up to rally against gun violence in the wake of the massacre in Parkland is likely much higher than a million. Officials in cities like Seattle, Denver, Dallas and San Francisco — where local media reported tens of thousands of marchers — did not offer estimates of crowd sizes.
In total, March for Our Lives events took place Saturday in more than 800 cities, both in the United States and around the globe. Hundreds of protestors showed up outside the U.S. Embassy in London; protests also took place in Paris; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Sydney.
http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/...ce-marches
The activists' next step is flooding Town Halls, much like the Tea Party did early in the Obama administration and bi-partisan citizens in many states did last year to protest the proposed repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act.
Yesterday I listened to conservative AM radio on my drive down to Southern California. Students in Devin Nunes' district requested for him to attend a town hall type gathering they're arranging. He didn't respond, which his Democratic challenger in the November midterms pointed out by tweet. Nunes' staff then tweeted that he'll be out of the country on national security business.
I still don't understand why Britney Spears got involved, did she go back crazy?
(03-29-2018, 01:18 PM)BigMark Wrote: [ -> ]I still don't understand why Britney Spears got involved, did she go back crazy?
She got involved because one of those NRA freaks started passing around that photo to all the other freaks who now believe it's Emma losing her shit on a random person's vehicle because they were told it was. That's just how stupid some of those people are. Dumb as dirt.
My husband's dumb ass friend posted that on FB. Overall nice guy, but he's one of those gun freaks. As soon as I saw it I thought to myself is that fucking Britney Spears. Retarded.
(03-28-2018, 12:15 PM)Duchess Wrote: [ -> ] (03-26-2018, 01:05 PM)HairOfTheDog Wrote: [ -> ]^ So dumb and misleading.
If you thought the other comments were dumb & misleading, check out this one.
The internet at this hotel is so slow; the pic attached to your comment just became visible.
Trying to pass off one of the most recognizable people and recognized photos as Emma Gonzalez is kinda funny, in a sick way. People who bought it are just plain stupid.
I think that is a gunbrella.
(03-29-2018, 01:47 PM)Duchess Wrote: [ -> ]
She got involved because one of those NRA freaks started passing around that photo to all the other freaks who now believe it's Emma losing her shit on a random person's vehicle because they were told it was. That's just how stupid some of those people are. Dumb as dirt.
How do you know it originated with an NRA member?
(03-29-2018, 02:57 PM)Jimbone Wrote: [ -> ]How do you know it originated with an NRA member?
Because I was hanging out with them. 
This has given the NRA another 20,000 members, maybe more. The thing I like about the NRA is they promote gun safety. Not many organizations do that anymore. There is quite a bit of info in their newsletters some good some kinda a waste of time.