Emma Gonzalez survived the horrible shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14 and she bravely spoke out to the public, especially President Donald Trump, 71, on Feb. 17 about the need for stricter gun control in the country. The passionate young woman took the stand at a gun rally outside the Broward County Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and called out Trump’s funds from the National Rifle Association (NRA). “If the President wants to come up to me, and tell me to my face that it was a terrible tragedy and how it should never have happened and maintain telling us how nothing is going to be done about it, I’m going to happily ask him how much money he received from the National Rifle Association,” she said during her speech.“It doesn’t matter because I already know. $30 million dollars!” Here are five things you should know about the student looking to make a difference.
1.) She is a senior at the school and was sitting in the auditorium when the shooting started. She thought it was a drill at first and eventually comforted students around her before first responders got to them and told them to run out. She’s been speaking out with her friends about the tragic day and is determined to do what she can for better gun control laws. “We will be the last mass shooting,” she said in her speech.
2.) She called out Trump for repealing Obama-era regulations which made it harder for people suffering from mental illness to get their hands on guns. “Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa was the sole sponsor on this bill that stops the FBI from performing background checks on people adjudicated to be mentally ill and now he’s stating for the record, ‘Well, it’s a shame the FBI isn’t doing background checks on these mentally ill people.’ Well, duh. You took that opportunity away last year,” she said, via Fox 13.
3.) She started a chant of “We call B.S.” after listing some of the things politicians were saying about not needing gun control. One of the major things she pointed out was that she believes it’s not only a mental health issue, it’s also a gun issue and that knives are not as dangerous as guns. She also stated that she doesn’t believe that no laws could have prevented what happened at her school or any other.
4.) Since her emotional speech, she’s already being called a hero by many on social media. “Marjory Stoneman Douglas student Emma Gonzalez is a hero,” one Twitter user posted. “She’s calling out Trump and the NRA by name at this rally. Getting people to reply to NRA talking points with “We call BS!” Most are. A few visibly uncomfortable adults on stage. But not many.
5.) Her empowering attitude has people saying she’d be a good future politician. Although she hasn’t commented on whether or not she’s interested in getting involved with politics, her speech and activist approach has certainly showed her capabilities. With dignity, determination, and demanding yet hopeful words, she has already made an impact on her generation and is on her way to being a force that could truly make a huge difference.
HollywoodLifers, what did you think about Emma’s passionate speech? Let us know in the comments!