On Valentine's Day, Nikolas Cruz walked into his former high school with an AR-15 and opened fire, killing 17 students and teachers. It was yet another mass shooting in America, but the aftermath was unlike any other. The surviving students rose up, saying never again, and became gun control activists. They even organized a rally, the March For Our Lives, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to Washington D.C. to demand action from lawmakers.
Now the students are returning to campus at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, but life won't be same. Administrators have created new security measures in an attempt to prevent another deadly shooting massacre. Now it is mandatory for all students to wear transparent backpacks, as well as new student ID badges. The clear bags and tags are provided by the school, and the students are not happy about it.
On social media, the students mocked the new backpacks, considering them to be a violation of privacy. They believe the solution to stopping gun violence is stricter gun control - not clear backpacks. "My new backpack is almost as transparent as the NRA’s agenda. I feel sooo safe now," tweeted Parkland student Lauren Hogg. "As much as I appreciate the effort we as a country need to focus on the real issue instead of turning our schools into prisons."
This student decorated her bag with a scathing quote: "This backpack is probably worth more than my life."
They do look kind of ridiculous.
Smile, and say "no privacy!"
The days of pretending you don't have gum are over.
These students tweeted their photos to U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, who has been criticized for being a tool of the NRA, accepting substantial contributions.
This student thinks that in the future, people will laugh at the clear backpack (if they aren't laughing already).
This student sarcastically tweeted, "Good work, everyone! Mass shootings will never happen again!"
Here's a video of a student walking with the transparent backpack. Does it look any less ridiculous in motion? And are they an effective deterrent? Couldn't a potential shooter just hide the gun in something within the bag?
However, these aren't the only new security precautions. The school is increasing police presence on campus and will be limiting points of entry into the building. They're also considering installing metal detectors. "We want to assure you that the safety and security of our students and employees remain our highest priorities," said the Florida Superintendent of Schools, Robert Runcie, in a letter sent to students and parents.
Well, there might not be a clear solution - pun intended - but hopefully more reform will follow. Since the Parkland shooting, the federal government hasn't passed any new gun control legislation, but we have seen some change on the state level. Florida recently passed new gun control laws, and New York has prohibited convicted domestic abusers from buying firearms.
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