Parkland Students Visit Cambridge To Talk About #NeverAgain

CAMBRIDGE, MA — The students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. didn't know that February 14 would change their lives and make them spokespeople for a national movement. But one month later, their voices, loud and persistent have sparked just that.

Tuesday night six students from the school spoke to a packed room at Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge on that movement and the tragedy that started it.

"The news out of Maryland shows us once again about how how timely," said moderator Meighan Stone after the students were introduced and Emma Gonzales, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, asked for a moment of silence.

Stone asked the students what was important for folks to think about going into the March 24 march.

"On Saturday what's important is that we speak up to these legislators and know that's what their constituents want," said David Hogg, also a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Cameron Kasky said he remembered thinking they had to do something, something different to change the MO of how mass shooting played out, after his father picked him up and he was in the car ride home from School on Feb. 14. He said he realized they had to talk about it and fast; "We [thought,we] know we can fix this so we have to jump now," he said. They started small, he said it began with 20 of his friends and fellow students sitting on his living room floor as they came up with ways to move forward.

And moving that conversation forward has meant working to create a unified front for change, said the students who.

"You don't have to go to Chicago to see the pain and gun violence in lower economic places," said Matt Deitsch.

"It's easy to lose heart at the current state of Congress, but it's people like John Lewis.... it's men like that that make me say we have a bright future. People aren't always corrupted," said Alex Wind, a junior.

And speaking of politics, that is an important element to this movement, said the students who are pushing as they travel across the country speaking on behalf of the #NeverAgain movement for young people to register to vote and to head to the polls in November.

After Sandy Hook happened the parents came out to speak but no one listened said Wind. Young people, new voters, are connecting with these students and that's where change is able to happen.

"We need to ask every politician to make a central and public stance on this issue so that in November it makes our decision easier. It's not about Republicans or Democrats, it's about children's lives or children's deaths," said Wind.

But it's not about an angry debate, said the students.

"Anger is not what's going to solve this. It's love and compassion from both sides," said Hogg. "Fear and anger is what's got us here, now that we used that to get us started which exhausted us emotionally, we can use love and compassion to continue. I do believe the universe is on the side of justice and justice will prevail."

Hogg said, taking a page from the Civil Rights movement, people, regardless of what side they are on, have forgotten to love each other "And that's what's going to solve this."

But when it comes to the students' political aspirations, the students said maybe some of them will run eventually.

"But what the real challenge is ensuring that power does not corrupt," said Hogg. "People get lax and they blindly trust their leaders but it's our job as a democracy to get out there and make sure they stay honest."

The older Deitsch brother said the other option.

"We can get a lot more out of this country by inspiring good people to run," said Matt Deitsch. "I think there' are good people out there that we can find. "

On the NRA:

"We are not trying to take your guns," said Hogg who said he has guns in his home. "We undertand the argument, but where we draw the line is we don't think that someone who is mentally unstable should be able to get one of these weapons and I think that's something we can cross the aisle on."

The conversation comes a week after Cambridge, Boston and students across the state - and the nation - who have participated in rallies and walk-outs to keep the conversation about gun violence at the fore font of of thought rallied at the State House and made their way in to talk to legislators.

The conversation also comes days before the March 24 "March For Our Lives" where students and allies will take to the streets in Boston and Washington and across the country in student-led effort to demand continued action on gun violence and safe schools.

Students Storm State House In Rally For Stricter Gun Laws

Photos by Jenna Fisher/Patch