And a child shall lead...

Eduardo del Buey
Foto: Ap
La Jornada Maya

Martes 3 de abril, 2018

On Valentine’s Day, a heavily armed student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, arrived at the school, opened fire, and killed 17 people. He is now under arrest and facing charges.

This was the latest mass shooting in a country that has, unfortunately, become used to such tragic events and senseless deaths.

On February 15, 2018, Fortune magazine reported that “In the 2016 election, the NRA spent $11,438,118 to support Donald Trump—and another $19,756,346 to oppose Hillary Clinton. That’s over $31 million spent on one presidential race”.

On February 28, Business Insider reported that “While the group (NRA – National Rifle Association) contributes to members of both parties, the lion's share goes to the GOP (Republican Party). Of the top 85 members of Congress with the most career National Rifle Association contributions, 82 are Republicans, according to a database from the Center for Responsive Politics. Overall, the NRA has spent millions supporting some candidates and opposing others”.

Faced with a Congress that seems, in many cases, to have been bought and paid for by the NRA, legislators have proven unable or unwilling to take action to date to end the carnage.

But someone has.

After the latest attack on young lives, the students of the Douglas High School decided that enough was enough.

Frustrated at the inability and unwillingness of elected officials to address the issue, a few student leaders called on their peers and supporters across the country to march in protest of existing gun legislation.

The marches, held on March 18th, saw over a million people, young and old, out across the United States to underscore their support for stronger gun control.

A 2016 General Social Survey poll found that just 32 percent of U.S. households owned guns, and that only 5 percent of the population were members of the NRA. In this context, 5 percent of the population of the United States are currently holding the country hostage to some of the loosest gun laws in the world.

But there is a silver lining beyond this dark cloud.

Teenagers have managed to galvanize society in a way that generations of Democrats and Republicans have proven unable.

They have shown political leaders how to organize a strong opposition to laws that have placed society in danger of sociopaths who can obtain heavy weapons with little or no control.

By crafting a simple message and delivering it with passion, they have shown how to connect with the masses and move them to action.

They have shown how many of our young people can articulate to the point of shaming politicians and calling millions to action.

To be sure, not all have joined the cause.

Senior Republican legislators – Senate leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan -- have kept silent. Other Republicans lashed out at the students, calling them “radicals” and “paid actors”. Former Republican Senator Rick Santorum said on CNN that the students would do better to learn first aid techniques so that they could help fellow victims in case of an attack rather than protest gun laws to try to preclude future attacks.

Emma Gonzalez, a seventeen-year old survivor of the massacre and a march organizer, made an eloquent and moving speech before hundreds of thousands in Washington DC. Gonzalez now has more Twitter followers than the NRA – a telling example of her ability to reach a broad audience with her message of hope.

Yet she has been pilloried and insulted by the right in the U.S. – a pathetic response to her activism and a gross attack on someone trying to do good.

NRA supporters are accused of photoshopping her image to show her ripping up a copy of the constitution. A Republican candidate called her a Cuban spy and attacked her sexuality. Thankfully, he later withdrew from his political campaign.

The NRA issued a statement saying that “Today's protests aren't spontaneous. Gun-hating billionaires and Hollywood elites are manipulating and exploiting children as part of their plan to DESTROY the Second Amendment and strip us of our right to defend ourselves and our loved ones."

Delegitimizing people and institutions are the hallmarks of radical politics these days around the world and seem to be the basic tradecraft of the President Trump who has inspired others on the right wing in the United States.

But in this case, the sight of teenagers being attacked by the NRA might indeed serve to encourage those who seek change.

Isaiah 11:6 says “and a young child shall lead them…”.

In this case, teenagers appear to be leading the charge.

Positive leaders must find a way to keep the momentum going, so that this mobilization of youth can translate into votes and change. This year, millennials will be the largest voting bloc in the United States. Voting is the way to create change in a democratic society. The young and not so young must understand that abstaining from voting allows those committed to a single negative idea to take power and ruin lives.

Billionaire hedge fund manager turned progressive political Svengali Tom Steyer was quoted on March 26th by AP as saying “We really believe in this generation”. AP reported that Steyer has committed at least US$31 million to help organize the youth vote this year. Just about matching the NRA election spend.


Only 15 percent of eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 20 cast ballots in the last mid-term elections. Steyer and other political philanthropists plan to spend a good deal of money to get young voters motivated and out to vote on election day.

The way is clear.

Those seeking change in the United States need

A simple honest message delivered with passion.

A simple honest message that provides a vision of the change youth seek.

A simple honest message that connects to and motivates a broad audience.

And an honest and charismatic candidate who can articulate a positive vision for youth to rally around.

Mahatma Gandhi once said “be the change that you wish to see in the world”.

U.S. youth have shown us that for now they want to become that change.

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