Parkland students demand ‘a plan’
Leader: Group to co-host forum for Democratic presidential candidates
In the wake of back-to-back mass shootings, one of the leaders of Parkland’s March for Our Lives movement is demanding the Democratic presidential candidates “have a plan” to stop gun violence. At least 31 people were killed over the weekend in mass shootings; 22 of those were in El Paso, Texas and nine people were killed in Dayton, Ohio. The Texas shooter, who might have been motivated by white nationalist and racist views, may face hate crime charges in addition to capital murder charges. The Ohio shooting suspect is dead.
David Hogg is one of the former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who became a leader in the March for Our Lives movement after the 2018 massacre that killed 17 people. He said the group will co-host a forum for Democratic presidential candidates in Las Vegas on Oct. 2, two years after a mass shooting at a country music festival there killed 58 people. Candidates scheduled so far include Elizabeth Warren, Beto O’Rourke, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang and Jay Inslee.
“We are in the middle of a gun violence epidemic and our country is dying,” Hogg said in a prepared statement. “Our hearts go out to every family and community member facing the immeasurable loss of a loved one. In their honor, we are more focused and determined than ever. We will keep turning our outrage into action.”
Hogg urged his supporters to “Tweet at your favorite candidates and ask them to make a plan to save lives and attend this forum” and he also urged supporters to reach out to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “and the rest of his NRA-funded colleagues” to vote on a background check bill.
“The last few days have been really tough. But it’s going to get worse unless we do something,” Hogg said in a prepared statement. “Please take action. Speak up. Your voice is your power. We can do this. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But if we keep at it, we will end this epidemic.”