We kids will shame our leaders into gun safety
Rise of US teen crusaders
Ten days ago Justin Gruber was hiding in a cupboard at high school while a gunman massacred 17 of his fellow students and teachers.
A week later the 15-year-old was sitting in the White House as President Donald Trump listened to his story, while holding a note that reminded him to at least say: “I hear you”.
In three days he will be back at school no safer than he was before.
This may sound like the killings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will have as little effect on US gun laws as Sandy Hook and Columbine before.
But among the teenagers who lost friends in the Florida school massacre, there is a belief that this time it must be different.
They have been joined by millions of students united behind the mantra “Never again”.
Youngsters are determined to change the situation where it is easier for them to buy an assault rifle than alcohol or medication.
Talking exclusively to the Mirror, Justin says: “Because kids are doing it and not adults it brings far more emotion. Because of what we have experienced I feel it makes the President, senators and governors want to do more for us.
“We are the next generation. It needs to be safe for every generation to come.
“Our politicians feel some shame they’ve not acted. Now they must.”
He adds: “Our neighbourhood was voted one of the safest places in the country. If it can happen here it can happen anywhere.”
At the session where massacre survivors told heart-wrenching tales, Justin took the microphone and urged stricter gun laws, telling Trump: “There needs to be significant change in this country, because this has to never happen again and people should be able to feel that when they go to school, they can be safe.”
Trump’s response was to suggest arming teachers.
“Arming our teachers is not the solution. It is a terrible idea,” Justin says. “The answer to solving our gun problems is not to put more of them out there.
“The answer is to ban anyone buying such guns in the first place.”
Justin’s dad Cary Gruber, who accompanied him to the White House, said students nationwide were forming an unstoppable movement. He says: “They are the next line of voters so they’re going to determine the next line of congressman, senators and Presidents. These kids are incredibly smart and they are speaking up. Change is coming.” Alongside Justin was Brit Nicole Hockley, whose son Dylan was one of 20 pupils killed at Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012. In the US since then, there have been more than 1,600 mass shootings, killing more than 1,800 and injuring more than 6,400.
Congress usually simply offers thoughts and prayers, but in a movement not seen since the 1960s civil rights’ protests, millions are threatening to use a very different weapon – the ballot box.
While Justin was facing the President, busloads of students confronted Florida politicians. Governor Rick Scott was greeted with cries of, “Shame on you!” for his rabid support of gun rights.
Plans are being drawn up for a National School Walkout on March 14 and a March for Our Lives 10 days later, with millions expected to attend. Their theme is “Enough is enough”.
George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey and Stephen Spielberg are among A-list stars to have each donated $500,000.
This tide of anger threatens to wash away political careers that have survived on the National Rifle Association’s “blood money”.
“Politicians who sit in their gilded House and Senate seats funded by the NRA telling us nothing could have ever been done to prevent this, we call BS,” said survivor Emma Gonzales.
“They say that tougher gun laws do not decrease gun violence. We call BS. They say a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun. We call BS.”
If anyone should fear their calls, it should be President Trump. He allowed the NRA to bankroll his election campaign to the tune of £22.2million, selling out a belief assault rifles should be banned.
In his 2000 book, The America We Deserve, he wrote: “I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun.”
He disavowed those statements during the campaign. Polls have found most Americans blame the President and Congress for not doing more on guns.
Trump has indicated he is willing to consider age restrictions for buying assault-type weapons.
The NRA is fighting back. Its firebrand leader Wayne LaPierre blamed the “failure of school security, family, America’s mental health system, andthe FBI” for the massacre. But the support for change may be even too great for Trump to ignore. His predecessor, Barack Obama, has already backed the teenagers. “Young people have helped lead all our great movements,” he tweeted. “How inspiring to see it again in so many smart, fearless students standing up for their right to be safe; marching and organising to remake the world as it should be.” Maybe, just maybe this time it will be different, as America’s youth scream: “Enough is enough”.