Brookline Residents Share Take on the 2018 Oscars, Guns

The Oscars brought about some controversy and speculation, bringing some strong political topics into the common household, including into Brookline, where residents of all ages had opinions on gun violence and the number of sexual harassment claims and cases involving men in the film industry.

The #TimesUp movement was also in full force on March 4th at the Academy Awards. Attendees were encouraged to wear orange pins and ribbons in support of the Parkland school shooting and the effort to raise awareness about gun safety.

Many Brookline community members said they felt strongly about the subject.

“There needs to be some sort of change. At this point we are glorifying these celebrity wrong doers and never setting a punishment,” said Brookline resident Kayley McAfee.

McAfee lives in the Brookline area and is an advocate for the Me Too movement to support and demonstrate widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment.

There were also some views shared by men in the community, including a veteran, on the topic of gun violence.

“I just feel these weapons of war don't need to be in the hands of civilians,” says Lewis Murphy. A military veteran himself, Murphy believes that there should be measures taken in America toward stricter gun control laws. Even though that's not a popular thought among men who've been in the military, Lewis says that “if we want to keep our loved ones safe, something needs to be done.”

Gun violence is the biggest conversation in the world as of right now since incidents like the Vegas shooting and the Parkland shooting. And when brought up on a nationally televised awards show, Brookline residents said they want to see celebrities using their platform to raise awareness.

“I wouldn't say I'm an expert on any of these subjects, but it is intriguing to me and makes me want to delve deeper when I see that big names like Zendaya and the Kardashians are getting involved,” said young BC high schooler Amanda Lorry. Familiar with the ins and outs of social media, Amanda believes that with the support of these celebrities something will get done. “The majority can't be silenced, and it's only a matter of time,” said Lorry.

Picture from Oscar.Go.com.

Arianna Gooden is a communications major at Newbury College.