In the wake of last week’s devastating and, frankly, avoidable mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people were killed and dozens injured, Floridians – along with the rest of the country – have been vocal in demanding an end to the Republican Party’s inaction regarding gun control.
This morning, Democratic Rep. Kionne McGhee asked for a procedural move to consider a measure banning assault rifles and large capacity magazines. The Parkland, Florida students looked on from the gallery as the motion was denied by the majority-Republican House by a 36 to 71 margin. The chamber is controlled by Republicans 76 to 41.
#StonemanDouglas students react in the #Florida House gallery as a motion to revive legislation to ban assault weapons is shot down by the chamber's majority Republicans #guncontrol #ParklandShooting pic.twitter.com/DPRpVbpwVL
— Troy Kinsey (@TroyKinsey) February 20, 2018
Per the AP, “McGhee said that means the bill would be dead unless the House voted to remove it from the committees and let it be considered by the full House.”
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The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students have led the charge in demanding action from Trump and Republicans in Congress, whose glaring absence in the face of such a horrific event has sparked furor across the United States.
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At a pro-gun control rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, student Emma Gonzalez slammed Trump in an impassioned, fiery, and heartwrenching speech.
“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,” Gonzalez said. “I already know — $30 million.”
This is the 59th mass shooting at or near a school this academic year. Americans are absolutely fed up with the inaction of Republicans in Washington who would rather defend the NRA than their own constituents.
Here’s to hoping that these Republican legislators are satisfied with their final stand in defense of guns over children, because November’s elections are coming up faster than they realize.
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