Emma Gonzlez for Harpers Bazaar: "We are grieving, we are furious & we are using our words fiercely"

[kpete]

Parkland Student Emma González Opens Up About Her Fight for Gun Control
"Adults are behaving like children."

?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=768


By Emma González
Feb 26, 2018

Teachers do not need to be armed with guns to protect their classes, they need to be armed with a solid education in order to teach their classes. That’s the only thing that needs to be in their job description. People say metal detectors would help. Tell that to the kids who already have metal detectors at school and are still victims of gun violence. If you want to help arm the schools, arm them with school supplies, books, therapists, things they actually need and can make use of.

My Name is Emma González. I’m 18 years old, Cuban and bisexual. I’m so indecisive that I can’t pick a favorite color, and I’m allergic to 12 things. I draw, paint, crochet, sew, embroider—anything productive I can do with my hands while watching Netflix.

But none of this matters anymore.

What matters is that the majority of American people have become complacent in a senseless injustice that occurs all around them. What matters is that most American politicians have become more easily swayed by money than by the people who voted them into office. What matters is that my friends are dead, along with hundreds upon hundreds of others all over the United States.

This started with, has been about, will always be for, all of us. And who are we? We are the people who died in the freshman building on Valentine’s Day at Douglas High, and the people who died in every mass shooting in U.S. history. We are everyone who has been shot at, grazed or pierced by bullets, terrorized by the presence of guns and gun violence in America. We are kids, we are parents, we are students, we are teachers. We are tired of practicing school shooter drills and feeling scared of something we should never have to think about. We are tired of being ignored. So we are speaking up for those who don’t have anyone listening to them, for those who can’t talk about it just yet, and for those who will never speak again. We are grieving, we are furious, and we are using our words fiercely and desperately because that’s the only thing standing between us and this happening again.


...............


Read the whole thing, especially for the Lemony Snicket reference.


https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/politics/a18715714/protesting-nra-gun-control-true-story/
via:
https://www.balloon-juice.com/2018/02/26/more-amazing-stuff-from-parkland/#comments

[Dave Starsky]

1. Parkland must have an amazing educational system.

I got pretty good grades in high school, but I struggled through putting together presentations and papers. Even when put on the spot, these kids are like Daniel Webster.

[BigmanPigman]

2. I am so impressed!

When my sixth graders gave reports to the class and get recorded they were trembling as much as I did when I was is school and had to speak in front of others. It is fun when you are in first grade, the 6 hear olds have no ego and love it. That changes in third grade. Some of my fellow teachers were even terrified to speak in front of the staff. These young adults have courage and confidence.
Support them #ENOUGH School walkouts March 14th 10:00-10:17 AM at 1,300 sites. Educators, parents, students, community leaders, etc will be walking out for 17 min to support the FL students.

https://www.womensmarch.com/enough/

https://www.womensmarch.com/empower/

[Blue_Adept]

4. There are a lot of good districts out there

I can only speak of mine in MA, but in watching my two kids (one about to graduate, the other a freshman) go through the system I was impressed. The use of the arts through performances and plays when they were little - multiple each semester - helped to get them to be comfortable with public speaking. It progressed there with group projects, full grade plays, and "graduation" plays that each grade would put on when moving from elementary to middle and middle to high school.

They're far, far, far more exposed to public speaking than my generation was, and to the arts, critical thinking, and so much more. I'm in my late forties and went through the same system - same schools in fact - but the curriculum was all names, dates, and little else. They're far more well-rounded and aware of what's going on because classes draw on the real world and practical applications for nearly every class.

[poboy2]

3. We see, read, and hear how brilliant and wonderful these kids are.

The ones who made it. Imagine the 17 that were lost, how brilliant they might have been, but will never know.

[Freedomofspeech]

5. Wow...

What a brilliant young woman.

[Silver Gaia]

11. Agree wholeheartedly.

Emma amazes me. She is wise beyond her years. And that makes her voice so powerful.

[Lucinda]

6. KNR

[calimary]

7. I'm keeping an eye on this one. Emma, and David Hogg also.

Two of my personal faves. I've been so impressed with them both! I hope they run for office. And I hope I find out right away, so I can start sending them campaign donations.

[Silver Gaia]

12. Same here. They amaze me.

[ffr]

8. We stand with you Emma.

[ailsagirl]

9. AMEN we do!!!

It's hard to read her words without shedding tears

[justhanginon]

10. What an eloquent young lady. I hope these kids (everyone I have seen)

continue to develop, pursue their education and they become the future leaders of our country. With them hope springs eternal. Their parents and teachers must be so proud of them.

[smirkymonkey]

13. She is an impressive young woman!

So articulate, confident and poised. This is what a leader looks like. Take note, Donald Trump.

[TNNurse]

14. Every one of them I have heard speak,

has a better thought process and vocabulary than Donald Trump. They are better informed, eloquent (he has no degree of eloquence) and better speakers.

[Cha]

15. And, Emma is Fearless and Powerful ! Deeply

affected by what happened.. and who wouldn't be?

She's a brilliant writer, and has the ability to articulate what she is feeling, so amazingly well, and stand up and Fight for Change!

“If you have ever lost someone very important to you, then you already know how it feels, and if you haven't, then you cannot possibly imagine it,” wrote Lemony Snicket in The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events. There are people who do not know, and will never know, what it feels like to go through this. For that I am eternally thankful. But to the people out there who disagree with us: if you have ever felt what it's like to deal with all of this, you would know we aren’t doing this for attention. If these funerals were for your friends, you would know this grief is real, not paid for. We are children who are being expected to act like adults, while the adults are proving themselves to behave like children.

Mahalo, kpete~


Emma pictured at a Valentine’s Day event at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, an hour before the shooting on February 14

[crazycatlady]

16. Many adults like to shit on younger generations

And I've certainly seen it here at DU.

However, this 30 something is nothing but impressed with Emma and her generation. I have two cousins around her age, and I'm impressed with them too. High school students are incredibly informed about the world around them, much more than they were when I was in HS (granted the mass shootings started the year after I graduated).

[Skittles]

17. 30 something.....you're just a pup, crazycatgal

I agree with you regarding these very young folk though - very impressive indeed