Parkland’s parents urge Biden to take control of weapons Arms Violence News

Washington, DC – When a gun was killed four students Last week at a high school in Michigan, the tragedy not only brought painful memories for Patricia and Manuel “Manny” Oliver, but also prompted the couple to renew their call to action.

Olivers lost their son Joaquin in a deadly 2018 attack a high school They are holding an open protest in Parkland, Florida, in Washington to demand a meeting with DC President Joe Biden and to call for a “declaration of war on armed violence.”

“We need to increase the urgency and do something different with the urgent message and don’t think that these shootings are normal,” Manuel told Al Jazeera, sitting on a white cement block opposite the White House.

The couple’s son Marjory Stoneman of Parkland was one of 17 people killed at Douglas High School by a 19-year-old. former student – armed with a legally purchased AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle – shot at students and staff for six minutes.

When Patricia died, she described her 17-year-old son as “very special,” sweet and intellectually curious. “I got it. I was shocked. I couldn’t speak. I didn’t see it, ”Patricia told Al Jazeera how she felt after her son died.

This grief, he added, never diminished; he learned only through power and said that activism was part of that process. “I’m here because Joaquin lets me stay here.”

Trigger

The Parkland attack was one of the deadliest school shootings in American history, but far from it.

They were there 31 school shooting In the year following the Parkland incident, according to a CNN report, a database The Naval Center of the Graduate School of Defense and Security of Navarre has documented hundreds of gun-related incidents in school areas since 2018.

In one of the latest incidents, four students were killed and seven others were injured on November 30 in the alleged shooting of 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley. he opened fire At Oxford High School, north of Detroit. Crumbley faces a number of charges, including murder and terrorism.

The shooting in Michigan was a “trigger” for Oliver to step up their activism, Patricia said.

“We understand perfectly well these parents and what they are going through now,” he said. “We were in that position almost four years ago. So when this happens again, we have the strength to take action immediately. “

Dressed in a black zipped jacket and a necklace with a picture of Joaquin, Patricia said she and her husband are receiving a lot of support for their protest. Friday was the couple’s ninth day near the White House, and several passers-by stopped to greet them and praise the effort.

Day # 9! Let us prioritize the fight against gun violence. For us, this issue has always been a priority, and we intend to fight against any obstacles in our way. @POTUS let us be insulted for every victim. #MeetWithManny pic.twitter.com/WtRFMPpnIY

– Manuel Oliver (@ manueloliver00) December 10, 2021

They are using the hashtag #MeetWithManny to spread awareness. Manuel, who campaigned for Biden and met with him last year, said it was logical to turn to the president after the Michigan shooting.

“Who is the highest authority in this place that we can talk to? That guy, ”Manuel said, pointing to the White House.

Biden demands legislation

Among the many deadly shootings earlier this year, Biden denounced gun violence. “national embarrassment”For the country and committed to doing more to address the problem. He has called for congressional approval arms control legislation, and committed additional funds for community-based violence prevention programs.

“Talk to the most responsible gun owners and hunters, they will tell you that there is no justification for having a hundred rounds in a magazine,” Biden said in June. “There [are] too many people today are buying weapons that shouldn’t be bought. ”

But with a political stalemate in Congress, where the so-called filibuster mechanism is vetoing the Republican minority in the Senate in the face of major legislation, the push to impose stricter gun laws faces the uphill battle.

On Friday, Manuel Oliver said Biden, however, needed to declare a national emergency and use his influential platform as president to prioritize the issue.

Biden described the U.S. gun violence as “national embarrassment.” [File: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]

“If the President decides to declare war on armed violence and direct that message to the State of the Union, that means a lot,” he said, referring to his annual presidential speech. “I’m talking about the attitude of the leader of this country.”

Manuel has shown Al Jazeera a statement sent to him by a White House official this week in response to the protest.

The official highlighted three bills passed by the House to tighten rules on gun control in the Senate, including one that would require universal background checks for gun buyers, as well as one in Biden. social spending legislation that includes funding for the prevention of gun violence.

“Young and old Americans are dying every day from gun violence,” the statement said. “Each of these people has a family and each of them leaves a hole in their community. That is why the President will continue to take whatever steps he can to use his power to reduce all forms of armed violence. “

Weapon culture

The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives the right to “own and possess weapons,” and gun rights advocates argue that weapons in the right hands can save lives.

Strong arms lobby groups, as well as some U.S. lawmakers from both major parties, are opposed to imposing stricter rules, arguing that such measures would violate the Second Amendment.

But the push for stricter gun laws has gained momentum in recent years, largely as a result of the activism of surviving gunfire in Parkland. A month after the shooting, thousands of people gathered across the country at the hands of students The March for Our Life movement.

While activist students managed to put gun violence at the forefront of the national debate, dozens statewide gun control laws, gun violence has worsened since 2018.

Weapon sales have gone up coronavirus pandemic and deadly gun violence in the first year. But Oliver believes that the fight against gun violence will be a success.

“It will take time. Just as the tobacco industry is so weak today … the same thing will happen to the arms culture and the arms industry – I think it will disappear over time, ”Manuel said.