House Democrats look to hire Parkland students to work on gun violence issues
Source: NBC News
Lawmakers would bring students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to Capitol Hill for the summer.
by Alex Moe / May.24.2018 / 8:00 AM ET
WASHINGTON Student survivors of gun violence descended on Washington en masse earlier this year during the massive March for Our Lives on March 24. Now some lawmakers would like to bring them back for an entire summer.
House Democrats are inviting students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida who survived a mass school shooting in February to come intern in their offices, working on gun violence prevention.
We think it would be a great experience for them to be on the Hill to see exactly how things operate or doesnt, to some degree but also to have time with these very special young people that have experienced something that none of us ever want to have experienced and I think we can learn from each other, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley, who is helping lead the effort, told NBC News.
Crowley, D-N.Y., is joining with House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., and Reps. Ted Deutch, D-Fla. and Mike Thompson, D-Calif., in sending a letter to their Democratic colleagues Thursday encouraging members to open their offices to Parkland students.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-democrats-look-hire-parkland-students-work-gun-violence-issues-n876961
lark
(23,191 posts)I love it when Dems get smart and creative!!
bucolic_frolic
(43,476 posts)and now we learn from our youngest members ... just total exasperation - why didn't they listen to sanity long ago?
MontanaMama
(23,366 posts)It does cross my mind however, that this proposition may have been offered because the Parkland students have done more to move the goal posts on this issue than have Dems but, whatever, if they want to make it sound like its all for the students...okay.
vi5
(13,305 posts)...when Dems do get power, if they'll actually do something on the issue or if they'll fall short because of skittish red state Dems and then just shrug their shoulders and say "Well? What could we have done differently!?!?!"
The same way they wanted the "energy" and voting power of the union walk outs/marches as well as Occupy Wall Street but without having to actually do anything to earn it beyond being better than Republicans on those issues.
Wednesdays
(17,465 posts)We'll gladly take them!
vi5
(13,305 posts)Anything that keeps money out of the pockets of the clowns and sycophants we've been using the past 10 years.
Literally there is not way that a group of politically inexperienced high school students could possibly be any worse.
CrispyQ
(36,557 posts)murielm99
(30,782 posts)I love this idea.
MicaelS
(8,747 posts)Cha
(298,021 posts)nitpicker
(7,153 posts)It costs about $2000 a month to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Arlington VA. Then throw in utilities, transport, food, etc...
But wait a minute- aren't most of that school's students, by definition, under 18? Who would normally rent to minors?
Can parents afford to bankroll any DC adventures?
Or was the suggestion to have Parkland students be interns merely made for publicity with no real follow-through plan?