Parkland, Florida, has dominated the recent news cycle. It started with the devastating shooting that rocked the nation on Feb. 14. Now, Parkland has maintained its national spotlight through the student activists that have sprung from the tragedy. Most notable of these young activists are David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez. These students helped organize and lead a national walkout on March 14 to promote more gun control. They have also organized a March for Our Lives on March 24 in Washington D.C. to further push their agenda. And while I may disagree with their message, I do have great admiration for their determination and involvement — something my generation is often criticized on.
However, this piece isn’t about them, they have received enough coverage in the media for their efforts. This is about Kyle Kashuv, another survivor of the shooting and student activists, who hasn’t been receiving much media coverage. I first heard of Kashuv on Twitter, one of my followers retweeted something by him and I started following him myself. Since then, I have been very impressed by this young man’s work. He has been meeting with top elected officials on both sides of the aisle to promote the Stop School Violence Act. This has included meetings with Sen. Chris Murphy (D), Sen. Bill Nelson (D), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) and even President Trump. His commitment to hearing both sides of the argument is commendable.
There are three things that distinguish Kashuv from his fellow classmates and survivors. One, he is pro-Second Amendment, and two, he is on a path towards results and, most importantly, creating a meaningful dialogue. Kashuv has been working vigorously in D.C. talking to prominent Congress and Cabinet members to advocate for this bill. In contrast, his fellow classmates have taken a much more divisive approach. They’ve appeared on a fair number of news channels, but they never seem very interested in hearing out the opposition. They have often resorted to attacks, such as when David Hogg suggested that the National Rifle Association was an organization of “child murderers.”
While I understand their right to be opinionated, blatantly emotionally charged statements, such as that one, are not going to help bring about the change that they want. The reality is this is a complex issue with varying opinions as to what the best solution is. But failure to listen to the other side will only result in continued stagnated progress and further divides in this country. That’s why my generation and D.C. need more Kyle Kashuvs – people who can voice their opinions while listening to the opposition.