Are Protests the Answer?

Recent protests regarding gun control and the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School have been scattered across the country. High school students have chosen to raise their voices and fight for what they believe in. These walkouts and protests have given a voice to our generation, and a voice to the victims of the shooting. The atmosphere is overwhelmed by sadness and grief for the lost lives, however, there is also a strong sense of power and hope filling the voices of these students. Our generation has come to terms with the fact that our voices mean something, we can make change if we fight for it.

Rafael Limongi, an 11th grade student at South Broward, believes protests are the best and most practical way in which students can directly affect the narrative around the current issues threatening safety at schools. Limongi believes that, while students cannot directly enact policy, the media attention and societal pressure brought about by well-organized student protests is a significant push towards justice and safety in schools.

“The American people have long been in agreement that gun laws in our country need to be reformed in some way, whether it be stronger background checks or a ban on assault weapons.” stated Limongi.

Rafael has yet to attend any protests, however, he does plan on possibly participating in some of the larger scale protests organized nationwide or in our state.