The
Patriots shocked the NRA with a surprise offer to Parkland survivors
The March for Our
Lives, the gun reform rallies championed by the activist survivors of the
horrific Parkland shooting, were held all over the country this Saturday.
A powerful, urgent
message was sent to the members of Congress who have been resting on their
laurels as children are gunned down in mass shooting after mass shooting.
Enough is enough.
The Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School students themselves attended the march in Washington
D.C.
In order to help get them there, the New England Patriots lent them their
official airplane. This came despite the public support owner Robert
Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady gave to Donald Trump during the
campaign
The Boston Globe reports that Robert Kraft agreed to send the plane for the students and their families at the request of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and her former astronaut husband Mark Kelly.
Giffords, who is
herself a personal survivor of gun violence, has been an outspoken advocate for
gun reform.
Giffords, a former US
Representative from Arizona, was the victim of an assassination attempt and suffered
a gunshot to the head which she eventually recovered from.
Numerous people were
injured and six were killed by the gunman. Since then, she’s been calling for
meaningful legislative gun reform.
Mark Kelly previously
spoke to The Washington Post about his strong feelings about helping the
Parkland survivors.
“Not only did their friends and teachers get shot and killed, other friends shot and injured … most of them they had bullets flying over their heads.
This is not fair that they have to deal with something like this at their age. They wanted to go to Washington and be heard, and so I felt it was our obligation to help them.”
The Patriots should be
lauded for supporting these students.
After years and years
of unfettered gun violence, change is finally within grasp.
Everyone should
support their students and pressure their representatives to take action.