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Amaryllis

(9,523 posts)
Thu Feb 22, 2018, 09:26 PM Feb 2018

Another amazing, articulate Parkland student on why this time is different & they won't be stopped

Interview with Delaney Tarr. I've seen her photo in groups but had not heard her speak. She is as extraordinary as the other Parkland students we've heard, and is very insightful about what is different this time and why it can bring change.

"A week ago, Delaney Tarr was thinking about prom. Now she’s trying to change gun laws."
“We are teenagers who have nothing to lose.”
by Jen Kirby

snip

Tarr says she and other Parkland activists are taking as many opportunities as possible to talk to politicians and the public through social media. They are using what power they have for now, until they can go to the polls themselves.

snip

It is surreal, this movement that began not even a week ago, Tarr says. She and others are still trying to navigate the world of activism, even as they’re sure of the message. They will take a bus hundreds of miles to Tallahassee to speak with legislators, and to rally. They will join a CNN town hall for a dialogue on gun control. Next month, they march on Washington, DC.

“We are still, of course, grieving, and we do lash out at moments,” Tarr says. “But ultimately, we are not making this a partisan issue. We are making this, like I said, a life-or-death issue.”

Tarr says she and other Parkland activists are taking as many opportunities as possible to talk to politicians and the public through social media. They are using what power they have for now, until they can go to the polls themselves.

Jen Kirby:
What is motivating you to take on this advocacy now?

Delaney Tarr:
For starters, getting shot at is a big motivator for trying to prevent that from happening again. But this has always been an issue that needs to be fixed. It’s been decades of us just not doing anything about the gun legislation. People have tried to act out, but ultimately, we are given this platform.

The media is paying attention to us, we have social media at our advantage, and we are educated, we are loud. It’s just giving us this chance to promote such advocacy that hasn’t been able to be promoted before.

Jen Kirby:
What do you think it is about this group of students in this particular moment that feels like a break from the past?

Delaney Tarr:
There’s a whole array of factors that have played into us making this a different change because if you look at previous shootings, say Columbine was the first, so it wasn’t as much of a push; there wasn’t as much technology for them to use to their advantage.

Sandy Hook, unfortunately, was the children who passed. So ultimately it wasn’t the victims speaking up for themselves. It was the parents trying to make a difference. But we are teenagers who have nothing to lose. We don’t have jobs to protect. We don’t have anything that we need to conserve right now. We are just teenagers who were victims, and we are ready to speak out.

We are lucky enough to come from a very affluent neighborhood. We go to an amazing school that’s been giving us so many opportunities to learn about government, to learn about policy, to learn about social issues. We have so many clubs and classes dedicated to this type of thing, so we know what we’re talking about. And we’ve always been ready to speak out about it, but this has hit so close to home that we have to speak out about this, right now.

Jen Kirby:
It sounded a bit as if you guys might have already been pretty politically active — if that’s the right word.

Delaney Tarr:
It’s absolutely true. One of our members of the House of Representatives, Ted Deutch, he actually came down just weeks before [the shooting] to speak to us because we’ve been so politically involved. So many of us are in politics clubs. So many of us are in AP government.

We dedicate ourselves to this. We dedicate ourselves to learning about this. So we are in a place where we are lucky enough to know what to say, to know what to talk about, and to know what changes need to be made. And it’s sad to think about us being lucky at a time like this, but we have the ability to do something that others may not.

***

There is much more here, and it's well worth the read. A lot of things I haven't heard said before that provide insight and hope.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/20/17031050/florida-shooting-parkland-advocacy-gun-control-delaney-tarr

16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Another amazing, articulate Parkland student on why this time is different & they won't be stopped (Original Post) Amaryllis Feb 2018 OP
Can we just pick up the entire FL legislature & dump them in the swamp TheSmarterDog Feb 2018 #1
Not just the FL legislature... Lucinda Feb 2018 #3
If only. My hope is we will vote the swamp out and Phoenix61 Feb 2018 #4
Thank you! Excellent interview. Lucinda Feb 2018 #2
It was really hard to figure out which part to post because it was all so excellent. Was Amaryllis Feb 2018 #7
The NRA will regret that this school was chosen RainCaster Feb 2018 #10
The corrupt politicians addicted to NRA $$$ quartz007 Feb 2018 #5
Thanks for link to this analysis of Parkland shooting bobbieinok Feb 2018 #6
Parkland spike91nz Feb 2018 #8
Sad that all students everywhere don't benefit Laura PourMeADrink Feb 2018 #9
MOre: Amaryllis Feb 2018 #11
It's very cool to learn that these students were already politically active and aware! scarletwoman Feb 2018 #12
i just want to add a video with this girl orleans Feb 2018 #13
Stunningly awesome! Wow. THanks for posting. THey are formidable in their honesty and Amaryllis Feb 2018 #15
these people are amazing blake2012 Feb 2018 #16
It's like we now have 3000 or more Rude Pundits DeminPennswoods Feb 2018 #14
 

TheSmarterDog

(794 posts)
1. Can we just pick up the entire FL legislature & dump them in the swamp
Thu Feb 22, 2018, 09:35 PM
Feb 2018

Then replace them with these kids?

Phoenix61

(16,951 posts)
4. If only. My hope is we will vote the swamp out and
Thu Feb 22, 2018, 09:40 PM
Feb 2018

if we don't they will. They are an amazing group of young people. I guess once you have lived through thinking you are going to die there's not anything left to scare you.

Amaryllis

(9,523 posts)
7. It was really hard to figure out which part to post because it was all so excellent. Was
Thu Feb 22, 2018, 09:45 PM
Feb 2018

interesting to find out that they were already very knowledgeable about and involved in politics. Almost like all the pieces were in place for them to push the tipping point.

RainCaster

(10,679 posts)
10. The NRA will regret that this school was chosen
Thu Feb 22, 2018, 11:44 PM
Feb 2018

These kids are smart, eloquent and have a very good understanding of how DC works. Can we just vote them straight into office?

 

quartz007

(1,216 posts)
5. The corrupt politicians addicted to NRA $$$
Thu Feb 22, 2018, 09:43 PM
Feb 2018

will not cave for some students who are too young to vote and can't match NRA money. So, as a stark realist, I expect nothing much to change. Which means I must learn to defend myself against a crazed gun nut firing wildly at anything that moves. Can't wait for the cops to arrive 10 minutes later.

spike91nz

(180 posts)
8. Parkland
Thu Feb 22, 2018, 11:22 PM
Feb 2018

Whatever Parkland is doing they are succeeding at producing intelligent and eloquent students for a world that sorely needs them. These are sharp kids who understand the hypocrisy they face. They provide an opportunity for optimism about the possible paths into the future.

 

Laura PourMeADrink

(42,770 posts)
9. Sad that all students everywhere don't benefit
Thu Feb 22, 2018, 11:40 PM
Feb 2018

from the affluent school system she was raised in. Tragedy aside...I am now in Texas and have nieces who graduated in the top of their classes in high school. There is no way on Earth they would be so informed and articulate. They barely know anything about what's going on in the world. One of them thought Chicago was a state.

scarletwoman

(31,893 posts)
12. It's very cool to learn that these students were already politically active and aware!
Fri Feb 23, 2018, 12:29 AM
Feb 2018

Thank you for posting this!

It sounds like that school was doing an excellent job of educating those young people.

Amaryllis

(9,523 posts)
15. Stunningly awesome! Wow. THanks for posting. THey are formidable in their honesty and
Fri Feb 23, 2018, 09:05 PM
Feb 2018

candor. Talking points are no match for this.

 

blake2012

(1,294 posts)
16. these people are amazing
Fri Feb 23, 2018, 09:26 PM
Feb 2018

It is all coming together so well for these bright, articulate (and let's not underestimate the importance of this in our age) telegenic young people.

One can see how some country rube clinging to his Bible and guns wants to believe this is all a setup. This is the Black Swan event the NRA was unprepared for.

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