AND NOT LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
AND THAT’S THE ANGLE.
JOINING US NOW FOR REACTION IS A
STUDENT FROM DOUGLASS
HIGH SCHOOL IN PARKLAND,
FLORIDA, BRANDON.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN JUST BEYOND
HORRIFIC.
A WEEK FOR STUDENTS TO RECOVER
FROM WHAT THEY ENDURED.
BARRY THEIR FRIENDS.
TRY TO EMPHASIZE AND TRY TO
LEARN SOMETHING.
HOW ARE YOU DOING A WEEK AFTER
THIS?
YOU’VE SEEN A LOT OF YOUR FELLOW
STUDENTS REACT, A LOT OF THEM
ARE VERY ANGRY, AND RIGHTLY SO.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> WE ARE GETTING THROUGH IT.
IT’S BEEN -- I WOULDN’T SAY
GOOD, BUT I’VE BEEN GETTING
THROUGH IT.
HAD SOME ROCKY MOMENTS, BUT I’M
MANAGING.
>> Laura: YOU MADE A REFERENCE
YESTERDAY, THE DAY BEFORE TO
WHAT THE MEDIA HAD BEEN DOING TO
PUSH AN AGENDA THROUGHOUT THIS
TRAGEDY.
I’M GOING TO SAY A SERIES OF
MEDIA COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED AND GET YOUR REACTION
ON THE OTHER SIDE.
LET’S WATCH.
>> THIS IS A NEW START WITH KIND
OF A NEW GROUP OF ACTIVISTS WHO
MIGHT HAVE SOME IMPACT.
>> WE HAVE A NEW GREATEST
GENERATION.
THE STRENGTH, THE POWER, THE
EMOTION, THE TAKE ACTION
ATTITUDE OF THOSE STUDENTS.
>> IT’S A YOUTH MOVEMENT.
THIS TIME IT’S GOING TO BE
DIFFERENT.
AT OTHER TIMES WE SAY LAWMAKERS
SAY TOO SOON, WE CAN’T TALK
ABOUT IT BUT BECAUSE OF SOCIAL
MEDIA THESE STUDENTS HAVE SAID
DON’T SPEAK FOR ME, I WANT TO
TALK ABOUT IT, I WANT TO GO TO
WASHINGTON, I WANT TO GO TO
TALLAHASSEE.
>> Laura: YOUR REACTION TO
THAT?
>> I DEFINITELY THINK IS A YOUTH
MOVEMENT, BUT I FEEL LIKE NOT
ALL THE YOUTH IS BEING LISTENED
TO.
I FEEL LIKE THE CONSERVATIVE
SIDE OF IT IS BEING IGNORED,
IT’S JUST PUSHING GUN CONTROL.
>> Laura: DID YOU HAPPEN TO
SEE ANDREW POLLOCK TODAY, WHO
SPOKE ABOUT HIS DAUGHTER
CHEYENNE WHO DIED, AND HIS THREE
SONS WERE STANDING WITH HIM AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.
HE BASICALLY SAID THERE’S A
TIME -- YOU WILL HAVE A
CONVERSATION, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE
TO MAKE SURE THE SCHOOLS ARE
EQUIPPED TO HANDLE THESE TYPES
OF ATTACKS.
IF YOU COULD TELL HE WAS REALLY
ANNOYED, IT SEEMED, WITH WHAT HE
WAS HEARING ABOUT LET’S GO AFTER
THE GUNS, WHATEVER THEY SAY THE
GUN OF CHOICE IS.
HE FOUND NOT TO BE AN UNHELPFUL
PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND ALL
DAY MY PRODUCERS AND I WERE
WONDERING, ARE THERE ANY
STUDENTS OUT THERE WHO MAYBE
THINK FOCUSING ON THAT ISSUE
ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY IS THE WRONG
APPROACH AND YOUR ANSWER TO THAT
WOULD BE...
>> IT’S DEFINITELY THE WRONG
TIME TO BE SPEAKING ABOUT IT.
IT’S BEEN A WEEK, WE ARE STILL
MOURNING THE LOSS OF OUR LOVED
ONES AND THEY ARE JUST STILL
TALKING ABOUT WHAT GUNS TO
OUTLAW AN OUTLINE GUNS, THE KIND
OF LAWS TO CREATE.
17 PEOPLE JUST DIED AT THE HANDS
OF A HUMAN.
HUMANS CONTROL GUNS.
>> Laura: THE ASSISTANT
FOOTBALL COACH DIED AND ANOTHER
BRAVE ACT OF SELFLESSNESS AND
SELF-SACRIFICE.
I KNOW YOU’RE ON THE FOOTBALL
TEAM.
HOW IS THE TEAM DOING GIVEN WHAT
YOU GUYS AND HAVE INDIVIDUALS
HAVE SUFFERED, THE FRIENDSHIP
YOU’VE HAD WITH THE COACH, HOW
ARE YOU DOING?
>> PEOPLE ARE MANAGING.
IT’S A SAD SITUATION TO KNOW
THAT HE WAS GONE.
HE WAS A GREAT MAN, GREAT
LEADER.
ALWAYS ENJOYABLE TO BE AROUND
AND TALK TO, CRACKING JOKES,
HELPING EVERYBODY OUT.
SAD TO KNOW THAT HE’S GONE AND
WON’T BE ABLE TO USE HIS
MENTORSHIP ANYMORE.
>> Laura: HOW DO YOU THINK
SCHOOL WILL BE WHEN YOU RETURN
TO CAMPUS, I GUESS NEXT WEEK
AFTER THERE WILL BE A WEEK OF
MORE I GUESS PROTESTS IN
TALLAHASSEE.
I THINK WE HAVE SOME OF THE
AUDIO OF WHAT HAPPENED TODAY
WITH SOME OF YOUR FELLOW
STUDENTS.
I GUESS QUITE A FEW, HUNDREDS
SHOWED UP IN TALLAHASSEE
CHANTING.
THEY ARE GOING TO VOTE, VOTE
VARIOUS LEGISLATORS OUT WHO
DON’T VOTE FOR A PARTICULAR
BAND.
IT GOT PRETTY HEATED.
THEY WERE SCREAMING AND VERY,
VERY UPSET.
BUT I DIDN’T HEAR A LOT OF
DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT.
I HEARD MOSTLY ONE SIDE.
>> IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE THEY’RE
LOOKING TO HEAR FROM THE OTHER
SIDE.
TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY BUT
THEY ONLY WANT TO HEAR ONE.
>> Laura: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY
THE MAKEUP OF THE STUDENT BODY
IS POLITICALLY, IS IT PRETTY
DIVERSE OR IS IT SPLIT DOWN THE
MIDDLE, OR COULD YOU EVEN TELL?
>> I PERSONALLY FEEL IT’S
DIVERSE.
I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE BOTH
SIDES OF THE SITUATION.
IT’S IN A VERY DIVERSE AREA, TWO
DIFFERENT CITIES, CLOSE TO
ANOTHER COUNTY.
DEFINITELY DIVERSE.
>> Laura: A STUDENT AT YOUR
SCHOOL SAID THE FOLLOWING ABOUT
THE SITUATION.
SORRY ABOUT THAT, IT’S A FULL
SCREEN.
HE SAID WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE
WALKING AROUND WITH AUTOMATIC
WEAPONS.
THEY ARE MADE FOR MASS MURDER.
OBVIOUSLY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS HAVE
BEEN BANNED FOR ALMOST A HUNDRED
YEARS AGO.
THE AR-15 IS NOT AN AUTOMATIC
WEAPON, BUT IF YOU ARE NOT
FAMILIAR WITH GUNS OR YOU DON’T
KNOW -- THAT’S WHAT KIND OF
PEOPLE THINK AND BELIEVE AND I
FEEL BAD FOR A LOT OF THESE KIDS
BECAUSE -- I DIDN’T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT THIS WHEN I WAS
15 AND 16 YEARS OLD.
I JUST DIDN’T KNOW.
>> I FEEL LIKE THEY ARE
UNINFORMED AND THEY’RE JUST
FOLLOWING ALONG WITH THE POPULAR
OPINION.
THEY CLEARLY DON’T KNOW WHAT
THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT.
>> Laura: WE WISH YOU THE
BEST, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING
THE COURAGE TO SPEAK OUT AT A
TIME WHERE IT SEEMS THAT THE
DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT ISN’T ALL
THAT WELL SHOWCASED.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME