HSDA's Official Statement on the February 13 Shooting at Michigan State University
The following statement was published by High School Democrats of America following the shooting this month at Michigan State University, which killed students Brian Fraser, Arielle Anderson, and Alexandria Verner.
Today we not only mourn for the loss of innocent lives at Michigan State University in a community that has barely healed from the atrocity that ensued at Oxford High School, but also for our inability to feel safe at our schools. Each day many students go to school not knowing whether or not they will return, afraid that they too will incur the same fate as those they hear about on the news. Wanting to feel safe shouldn't be too much to ask for when it comes to holding our politicians accountable. Time and time again, we hear about a new school shooting. Columbine. Parkland. Santa Fe. Oxford. Uvalde. They always say "never again," but do they really mean it? How much more common sense can stronger gun control get?
Our politicians may have gotten desensitized to these recurring brutalities, but we young people have not. Every time we turn on the news, we are afraid and deeply troubled by the fact that our legislators care more about the gun lobby than our lives.
We are tired of hearing their "thoughts and prayers" and want to see tangible action. Gun violence is not merely a threat, it's an epidemic. Just a mere couple of months into this brand new year, we have already witnessed numerous mass shootings. How many more lives have to be lost before we can finally start saving lives? We anxiously bite our nails wondering if we'll be next...
Statement via Sohali Vaddula, HSDA Communications Director