One Year After Parkland: And Youth Shall Show Us the Way of Peace and Justice

“The secret message communicated to most young people...is that they are not needed, that the society will run itself quite nicely until they — at some distant point in the future — will take over the reigns. [But] society is not running itself nicely…the rest of us need all the energy, brains, imagination and talent that young people can bring to bear down on our difficulties."   --Alvin Toffler, American writer and futurist

One year ago this week, our country was reeling from the latest school shooting, a literal Valentine's Day massacre at the Marjorie Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida. The toll: seventeen students and staff members dead. Seventeen injured. Communities traumatized. Families broken and mourning. Parents around the nation once again wondering about the fate of their children as they send them off to class. 

Remember?

But then something different happened in the days post Parkland. Unlike after other mass shootings that most often inspired and still inspire lots of vapid "thoughts and prayers" offered by shallow politicians and spineless legislators in the grip of the National Rifle Association, this time the youth, the teens most deeply hurt by this disaster: they decided to act. To get angry. To do something. To do anything. To work to pass laws that would push back against the "normalcy" of kids getting killed for the simple reason that they went to school one day.

Young people from Parkland spoke up and spoke out. Made the rounds on the TV news shows. Called out the hypocrisy of "adults" who claimed to have the best interests of young people in mind but who refused and still refuse to do anything that might disturb the gun lobby that owns Washington, D.C., lock, stock and barrel, from the Oval Office on down.  The Parkland youth organized huge national protests that spawned thousands of local protests and walkout at high schools around the nation.

And guess what? The youth won. Not completely. There is still much to be done to curb gun violence in the United States, but this time young people showed us the way.  

According to a February 13th United Press International story, "The movement after Parkland inspired 27 state legislatures to pass 67 gun-control laws, the most in a single year since the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in 2012."  Then just last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a universal comprehensive background check bill, closing a huge loophole in federal law.  While no one law can ensure that folks who should not have guns will not get guns, HR8 makes important progress. 

Yes, the U.S. Senate probably won't even take the bill up for a vote and yes, the White House has already come out strongly against the bill, but its passage is the most significant new gun control legislation in more than a generation. And youth led us. Not high paid lobbyists. Not feckless representatives. Not sound bite media folks.  Not the so-called adults in the room. It was young people.

These days, really all days, adults like to paint a cliché image of youth.  You know, as oh so self involved. In love with their phones and social media and unplugged from current events. Or if youth are politically active, they are much too naive to actually understand how the "real" world works. Condescending elders pat young people on the head and thank them for their ideas and then those same seniors go back to the dangerous and necrotic world of the status quo.  Of politics being about more self preservation and re-election and not so much about courage or protecting the innocent or actually making a difference for the common good.

I've been blessed to be a pastor and teacher to youth for more than thirty years, spent thousands of hours at Sunday night church youth groups and summer church camps and teaching young people in religious education. I would not trade those experiences and community for anything.  Because it has pushed me to open my ears and my heart and my mind, to really listen to and respect the ideals of youth. It makes me recall when as a youth, I was on fire for change. I dreamed of making this world a better place. I refused to accept things as they were just because someone with gray hair told me so.

Remember?

So one year later: thank you to the young people who showed and show us the way.  Who won't give up.  Who have the energy of being young and filled with hope.  As the preacher Tony Campolo once said, "We are as old as our cynicism and we are as young as our dreams."

Dream on, youth. Dream on.