Political apathy must step aside in the fight for gun control

It has already been two months since the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Fla., claimed 17 innocent lives. Despite being faced with sadness and hardship, the student survivors managed to transform this heartbreaking incident into a national movement.

They vowed that this shooting wouldn’t be like the previous ones, and that those who have turned a blind eye will be forced to watch this revolution overtake the nation. Fellow teenagers all over the country, me being one of them, responded with support to their calls for change.

These survivors organized hundreds of rallies around the world in support of gun control. They marched their way into Tallahassee, forcing their politicians to increase the age restriction on buying semi automatic rifles. They brought their voices all the way to the White House, where now even the President is voicing some support for gun regulations. They did something that no one else has done in the past: inspire actual change that would set a pathway for a safer America.

Although adults have also done a lot to demand change, we still find ourselves in the same problems again and again. Groups such as Moms Demand Action and Everytown For Gun Safety have been working hard for years to get other adults involved in promoting safer gun laws. But are the rest of the adults in our country doing enough to demand change? Are the politicians doing enough to enact laws that will keep us safe?

Although I was amazed by the countless American teenagers who involved themselves in

the debate for school safety, I found some adults’ lack of action discouraging. I am upset that the people who are supposed to represent us minors were so ineffective in implementing change that we had to stand up for ourselves.

Days after the shooting, I went on my high school’s community Facebook page, where parents were able to voice their concerns over our school’s own safety procedures. However, instead supporting the students taking action, I was shocked to see that the majority of the parents criticized them for suggesting such a stance.

Even more unsettling was the fact that very few parents even went to the next high school board meeting to propose anything to improve our district’s safety policies. Unless we get the full support and action of the adults, real reform is still a long ways away.

Every person who disconnects himself from the issue of school safety is part of the problem. Political apathy contributed to the 17 deaths at Stoneman Douglas High School, and it will continue to do so in the future unless drastic changes take place.

Our parents must do better. Our politicians must do better. Every American who has a voice must do better to protect our lives. The only way to enact real sensible gun reform is for us to reform our mindset regarding our involvement in politics.

So, as a child, a student, a citizen, I urge everyone to join this generation’s movement for change. How many more deaths must this country endure before we fully enact laws that will keep us safe? It is time for us to lay down our polarized politics and come up with a solution that will keep not just my generation, but future generations safe as well.

Register to vote. Contact your local representative. Join political action groups. Do everything in your power to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. We must all do our part to make schools a safer place to learn. It is time that we call the Parkland massacre the last mass shooting in American history.

This story was originally published April 17, 2018 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Political apathy must step aside in the fight for gun control."