The recent shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida prompted a wave of protests advocating for school safety and stricter gun control measures. These protests, largely organized by and centered around high school and college students, represent a shift in the conversation surrounding gun control toward some of those most affected by it. 

Students around the nation organized the March for Our Lives, which took place this past Saturday and featured massive crowds in major cities, including Washington D.C., Boston, Houston and Austin. At the march in Austin, UT students and Austin high school students spoke on behalf of stricter gun regulation and the importance of this rising movement. 

This week, The Daily Texan Forum team discusses the significance of this movement, both for legislation and for the young people involved. 

Liberal Arts and Science Academy senior Conor Heffernan, who organized the Austin March for Our Lives this Saturday, calls out lawmakers’ apparent unwillingness to enact legislation that could curb the rate of gun deaths in America. He points to the Clinton administration’s passage of an assault rifle ban in 1994 and encourages similar actions in response to present-day shootings. 

Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) speaks on the legislative efforts that should follow this movement. He applauds the students protesting and organizing on behalf of their safety in schools and encourages his fellow lawmakers to see this movement through with productive progress in law. 

The Forum team also sat down with three UT students, Selina Eshraghi, Ana López and Conner Vanden Hoek, who are active in the movement, to discuss their motivations and their vision for the movement itself. 

As always, please reach out to us at [email protected] if you have thoughts to share on this matter or anything else.

Anderson is a Plan II and history sophomore from Houston. Nemawarkar is a Plan II and goverment junior from Austin. Shirvaikar is a math and economics junior from Frisco.