On February 14th, 2018, 17 people were killed during a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. When a mass shooting occurs it always seems to follow a similar pattern: thoughts and prayers, it is too soon too talk about gun control, followed by nothing ever changing. This time around there finally is a glimmer of hope that meaningful discussions may finally be able to take place. The catalyst for this pendulum shift is the surviving youth who refuse to be silenced. These courageous teenagers are putting those in power on noticed. These young activists are creating a new movement with #NeverAgain.
On Wednesday, February 21st, CNN hosted a town hall on gun control. This allowed many students and parents to address politicians and policy influencers such as Marco Rubio and NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch. The event concluded with members of the Stoneman Douglas Drama Club performing an original composition, “Shine”. The inspirational tune voiced the students resolve to continue to raise their voices. Poignant lyrics included “We’re tired of hearing that we’re too young to ever make a change” and “We have the power to change the world around us.” This could finally be the generation that is able to clean up the mess that the adults have left them with.