March For Our Lives sees Donald Trump running and hiding
On Saturday, The March For Our Lives took place all around the world but was centered in Washington DC. Instead of remaining at the White House to experience this amazing demonstration, Donald Trump again spent taxpayer money to flee to his compound at Mar-a-Lago. The fear of the collective voices of the next generation to vote is demonstrably evident from Trump, the GOP, and the NRA.
After threatening to veto the Omnibus Spending Bill passed by Congress, Trump ended up signing it after aides told him it would be a terrible visual for him to run to Florida during a government shutdown. While knowing he would face strong condemnation by many prominent Republicans and supporters, Trump chose to sign the bill and face the backlash rather than have to stay in DC and see the faces of those coming to the March.
Emma Gonzalez, a survivor from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, has become one of the faces of the Never Again movement that is putting fear in so many Republicans in Congress. The NRA has gone so low as to put out commercials attacking these brave teenagers that are speaking out for common sense gun control. These teenagers are adamant about never having to watch more friends and family members killed while trying to simply get an education, yet the NRA cares so much more about selling guns, they’re willing to attack anyone standing in their way.
Gonzalez came out on stage and proceeded to list the names of all the students who died during last month’s massacre. Then she simply stopped speaking and stood there in silence, staring ahead defiantly, holding back tears. Following the extended silence a timer went off marking six minutes and twenty seconds – the exact length of time the shooting took to kill seventeen individuals.
She ended her moving speech with, “Fight for your lives before it’s someone else’s job” and walked off stage. I have to admit that it brought me to tears, and not just the first time I watched it. Now I see why Donald Trump had to run away. These teenagers are more powerful and determined than anyone Trump has ever had to deal with. Many of them will also be able to vote this November, and that puts more fear in the heart of Republicans and the NRA than any Twitter attack Trump could ever direct at them.
I’m a ceramic engineer living in Central New York, avid sports fan but find myself more interested in politics lately.