The Road to Change bus tour will promote gun reform and register young voters
As if the survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting haven’t had their young lives disrupted enough, several of them are now giving up their summers to continue to fight for gun reform that will protect students from experiencing what they did.
Yep, instead of having part-time jobs scooping ice cream or life guarding, instead of heading to the beach or pool with their friends and instead of staying out late to make memories and enjoy the warm summer nights — you know, things high schoolers are supposed to do during summer break — they’re going on a bus tour called Road To Change to promote gun reform and sign up new voters across the country. Seriously, bless them. They continue to step up and do the work that should be done by adults. Since we can’t handle this, they continue to, and it’s heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.
About two dozen Parkland students are here filing in for the #RoadtoChange voter registration and gun safety tour pic.twitter.com/yfhApiAIy7
— Colleen Wright (@Colleen_Wright) June 4, 2018
Current Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students Emma Gonzalez, Jaclyn Corin, Cameron Kasky, and recent graduates David Hogg and Delaney Tarr will be the ones going on tour. They all survived the Feb. 14 massacre that left 17 of their classmates and teachers dead.
Parkland students (and new alumni) talk about what's next for March for Our Lives. #RoadToChange #MSDStrong @WIOD pic.twitter.com/Uw6njdMXHU
— Rory O'Neill (@RadioRory) June 4, 2018
They’ll be on the road for 60 days, traveling to 20 states and making 75 total stops. The first stop will be on June 15 in Chicago, where the group will join the annual Peace March before they depart to cross the country and try to register enough young voters to vote out a Congress that sits back and watches them die. At the end of the tour, the Parkland teens will make more than 25 special stops in Florida, where they’ll speak in every single on of the state’s congressional districts.
#RoadToChange will be a two month summer tour to “harness the passion and turn it into action”
The @AMarch4OurLives members will be trying to educate & encourage people to be smart about voting in all elections.
Hitting at least 75 stops nationwide with “a new energy” pic.twitter.com/06OTWbB65I— Dianne Gallagher (@DianneG) June 4, 2018
This summer. #RoadToChange
Text CHANGE to 977-79 or visit https://t.co/2m7ItdxgIv to join us. #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/0qEgAJlEsA— March For Our Lives (@AMarch4OurLives) June 4, 2018
“We’re going to places where the NRA has bought and paid for politicians who refuse to take simple steps to save our lives — and we’ll be visiting a number of communities that have been affected by gun violence to meet fellow survivors and use our voices to amplify theirs,” the March for Our Lives website notes. “At each stop, we’ll register young people to vote and educate them on the reforms we need to save lives, and whether their local candidates and elected officials support these reforms or support the NRA.”
Let’s register some voters! #RoadToChange pic.twitter.com/nGWw7IYQLL
— Jaclyn Corin (@JaclynCorin) June 4, 2018
Despite the fact that no kid should have to spend their summer break doing something like this, the Parkland students and alumni all seem pretty excited about it.
#RoadToChange here we come (: pic.twitter.com/gzOLFaDIzU
— Lauren Hogg (@lauren_hoggs) June 4, 2018
#RoadToChange !!!
— Emma González (@Emma4Change) June 4, 2018
Marching is important. Protest is patriotic. Together, we can make our country do better. We can move forward.
This summer, the passion and energy that was displayed on March 24th will be coming to you. Text “CHANGE” to 97779#RoadToChange pic.twitter.com/oeBO1Ov72P
— Cameron Kasky (@cameron_kasky) June 4, 2018
So excited for the summer! #RoadToChange
— Daniel Duff (@theduff____) June 4, 2018
I’m ready when y’all are. #RoadToChange
— Delaney Tarr (@delaneytarr) June 4, 2018
#RoadToChange!!!
See y’all soon!
— Matt Deitsch (@MattxRed) June 4, 2018
It’s a daunting thing preparing to stare the country in the face and go to places you’ve never been with people who oppose you,
But I believe in this country and the people of this country and the principle that we can ALWAYS DO BETTER and move forward.#RoadToChange
— Cameron Kasky (@cameron_kasky) June 4, 2018
Here’s hoping the so-called adults start listening soon.