This month, student survivors of the Parkland school shooting will join congresspeople to discuss the connection between money in politics and gun control.
Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed by a gunman last February, will join citizen leaders and lawmakers at the National Citizen Leadership Conference (NCLC) next week, June 22-25, to discuss the connection between money in politics and inaction on matters with broad public support.
Students Noah Damiani, Demitri Hoth and Angelina Lazo will participate in the “Rising Generation Roundtable” at 11 a.m. on June 24th to talk about political reform with other young people and sit on the panel “Money in Politics and Violence in our Community” at 12 p.m. on June 25th with Florida Congressman Ted Deutch and Chief Operating Officer of Everytown for Gun Safety Matt McTighe.
As survivors of yet another tragic school shooting, these students have seen firsthand the devastation that can come when politicians listen more to gun lobbyists than to their constituents. Getting money out of politics is not just about making politicians more accountable—it is sometimes a matter of life and death.
Passing sensible gun control laws is widely popular among Americans. According to a POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, 68 percent of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, want stricter gun control laws and 88 percent support requiring background checks for all gun sales. Support for such measures continues to grow in the wake of the Parkland shooting, thanks in large part to demonstrations led by student survivors.
Unfortunately, politicians often prioritize funding election campaigns over changing policies that could end up saving the lives of American citizens. Passing a 28th amendment to get money out of politics will incentivize politicians to respond to the wishes of voters, not big moneyed special interests. Ben Gubits, American Promise’s Director of Political Strategy, further explains the connection between big money and gun violence in this op-ed in the Daily Camera.
Join the Parkland students, other citizen leaders and lawmakers at NCLC next week to fight for the 28th. Together we can get politicians to protect people, not their pocketbooks.
For more information about NCLC click here and to register for the conference click here.
