For decades, with a couple notable exceptions, weak-kneed politicians on our side essentially gave up trying to pass any sort of gun regulation because the NRA was deemed “too powerful”. Assault rifles with armor piercing bullets and 100-magazine drums for mentally ill patients--and no background checks? Sure. How could we ever hope to win an election being opposed to that?
Then, last week, a couple of very angry kids did something that our politicians never could—they exposed the NRA as a paper tiger.
Usually at this time after a mass slaughter, America resigns itself and we move on to something else until the next one.
Not this fucking time.
The Parkland student survivors have not only kept the issue as the top story in several news cycles, they’ve succeeded where us Dems have failed. In just one week, they made the NRA toxic as fuck.
Students from Parkland called them out on multiple TV shows and to their face at the CNN forum. I know politicians who are too scared to say anything about guns, and here’s a bunch of kids tearing right into them and making the NRA politicians their bitch.
Don’t think this hasn’t been noticed. GOP politicians, like my coward of a governor, quietly cancelled appearing at the NRA’s annual conference. In fact, many prominent republicans joined them. I about dropped my coffee when I heard one rightwing Florida politician actually say he would support a ban on assault rifles. That is something I never would have heard a month ago.
And right-leaning companies that for years have ignored our requests to quit fattening the NRA just now took notice to what is going on:
(Side note—fuck you FedEx)
There’s several others that have cut ties today, including United Airlines, Delta, and MetLife.
The NRA sure took notice, because they have lashed out over the boycott.
I am in awe of these students, and am convinced that they are going to be the agents of change that we have desperately needed. The NRA has made a powerful enemy in them, as they are leading the new generation to put those murderous bastards out to pasture once and for all.
There are multiple student activists here, including Cameron Kasky, Sam Zief and David Hogg—all of whom have articulated their positions well and owned typical apologists like Marco Rubio and Loofah man.
Then there’s Emma Gonzalez, the shaven head senior who is organizing an army for voter registration drives and has already raised millions for a march on Washington on March 24th. Her tweets are vicious and popular.
In the brief time @Emma4Change has been in existence, it has amassed over 760K followers (at the time of this writing). By contrast, @NRA has been on Twitter for nine+ years, and has over 200K less!
Does that sound like a good start to a movement?
It sure does to me.
We’re behind you guys. Go kick their ass.
@TheSemDem