What’s next?
Young people want their presence felt at polls
After march, students say they’re headed to the polls.
They walked out of classes. They rallied in streets across the nation for the March for Our Lives in powerful ways. They have the attention of millions. Now what?
The student-led movement forged in Parkland, Fla., after the high school shooting that took 17 lives is remarkable, organized and fierce — but not rare. Endless lists of groups have protested, marched, rallied, cried and pleaded for changes, whether for gun laws, immigration, women’s reproductive rights or climate change.
The question is whether these young people who call themselves “the massshooting generation” will fade into the background of the debate over gun control or be the leading charge in changing the country’s policies.
Many of the Parkland students at the march in Washington on Saturday made it clear one of the next revolutions would be at the polls.
“We are going to make this the voting issue,” said David Hogg, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas student and an organizer of the march.
“We are going to take this to every election, to every state and every city. We are going to make sure the best people get in our elections to run not as politicians, but as Americans.”
Leaders of past movements said it’s going to be an uphill battle to translate the #NeverAgain movement into significant changes. A lot will revolve around local efforts, keeping pressure on lawmakers and having a clear message moving forward.
Jaclyn Corin, one of the core members of the group, said she knows it will be difficult and called for the crowds Saturday in Washington to vote. She and the other student speakers shared stories of surviving gun violence and seeing it rip apart their communities and families.
Corin told USA TODAY the students aren’t “backing down.” She said their successes have been astonishing, and they’re committed to finishing what they started.
“Our target is the November elections, and we know we definitely have to keep pushing forward to then,” she said. “This whole thing has taken off into a much bigger thing. We are starting a non-profit and want to continue to advocate for gun control, reforms and voter education.”
Focusing on elections and being “relentless” was a part of what made previous gun control measures happen, said Richard Aborn, a former president of the Brady Center, which advocates gun control.
In the 1990s, Aborn worked to push for the federal assault weapons ban and the Brady Bill, which created a waiting period for some gun purchases and the establishment of a federal background checks system.
He said that back then, getting support from either political party was difficult, and the National Rifle Association was the Goliath it still is today. Over the years, the NRA has slowed and dismantled gun control efforts it said would hurt the Second Amendment and gun owners across the USA.
The group filed a lawsuit in Florida shortly after the state passed a sweeping bill after the Parkland shooting. It included gun control measures, including one that would increase the age to 21 to purchase firearms.
The NRA said the legislation violated the constitutional rights of millions of 18- to 20-year-olds and called it “political eyewash.”
Aborn said the Parkland students are resilient and have grit, noting that the group has all the elements of a successful movement. But, he said, the students must remain focused on the cities where members of Congress are from, which can help thrust gun violence into the spotlight of this year’s elections.
He said that although the march in D.C. captured headlines, it’s local efforts that could lead to meaningful change. He said one of the keys will be making gun control a vote-changing debate for Americans and the younger generation. Only then, he said, will there be sweeping changes on policies.
“What happens with movements like this is you get great peaks of enthusiasm, then it dissipates,” Aborn said. “You have to keep up the pressure and also keep things active at the local level with very specific goals, then you have to publicize all the wins, whether it’s a key vote or successful efforts in a small town.”
Many in the crowd Saturday said they knew the march wouldn’t be enough.
Joyce Hylton, a retired high school teacher, came with her college roommate and husband. She said she has watched gun violence rip the country apart for decades and “couldn’t just stand back anymore and wait for someone” to push for changes.
“It’s time for all us to take responsibility and make sure these shootings stop,” Hylton said. She hoped the momentum from the rally would keep supporters on course for the November elections.
Keeping track of small wins keeps up spirits because it’s going to be a long and tough road before there are shifts in the gun control debate, said Meira Levinson, a Harvard University education professor who focuses on youth empowerment and civic education.
She said the Parkland students seem to have a good chance at a sustained campaign because they are diverse and joining forces with others, such as minorities in cities that have been heavily affected by gun violence.
“Everyone can recognize themselves in these kids, and that is really crossing boundaries,” Levinson said.
“Our target is the November elections, and we know we definitely have to keep pushing forward to then.” Jaclyn Corin #NeverAgain