TALLAHASSEE, FLA. (WSVN) - The Parkland shooting survivors have been on a mission since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre, and many are voting for the first time.
Many Stoneman Douglas students have encouraged other young people across the country to also get out and vote.
They delivered their message in Tallahassee, Monday.
“Gun violence is on the ballot. Our lives are in the hands of the people we elect,” said Emma Gonzalez with March For Our Lives.
Survivors from the MSD shooting took to the steps of the capitol in Tallahassee with an important message.
“Tomorrow, if you haven’t already voted, is your chance to be a hero for yourself and everyone you love by casting a ballot and participating in our Democratic system,” Gonzalez said.
The students have been on a mission since the Feb. 14 shooting that left 17 students and faculty members dead at the Parkland high school.
Starting with the March For Our Lives rally, they took over Capitol Hill with thousands packing the streets on March 24.
“We’ve spent time and places that have been ignored for far too long,” Gonzalez said.
The goal is to elect lawmakers at the state and federal levels who will enact stricter gun laws.
“This congress has had 20 moments of silence for mass shootings, and they haven’t voted on a single bill to combat gun violence,” Gonzalez said, “not a single bill.”
The NRA has long stated that gun restrictions are an infringement on Second Amendment rights. However, for the Parkland students, they’re focused on new tragedies that have brought up old pain.
Just days ago on Friday, a gunman opened fire at a Tallahassee yoga studio, killing a Florida State University student and a doctor who was also a faculty member.
“Here in Tallahassee, it was very close to our hearts,” said Matt Deitsch with March For Our Lives. “Some of our co-workers and some of our friends had experienced trauma, they were in that studio, they experienced pain, so we need to address this as a holistic issue.”
After the March For Our Lives group was done speaking, they went off into surrounding neighborhoods and communities to knock on doors. They said Election Day is 24 hours away, and they still have a lot of work to do.
They will then see if their efforts over the past 12 months have paid off.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.