There Is an Expiration Date on the Hysterical Activism By Parkland Students, and It’s Long Overdue

It has been something to see the student activism in the days since the February 14th massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that took seventeen innocent lives.

That activism is an unfettered free-for-all praised by gun-grabbing Leftists and slobbered over by adults and children, alike.

I cringe at the use of the word “victim” to describe high school students who were on school grounds during the shooting but not directly involved. While I have no doubt that these teenagers were terrified during and deeply shaken after the horror, I do not think they qualify as casualties, unlike fellow students who were actually injured by a madman.

They are victims by association, but not victims themselves.

In the media aftermath, I have seen utterly absurd behavior from both sides. From the Left, there is a thirst to promote mere children to a place of prominence within an ongoing debate. Somehow, the connection to a tragedy confers upon a select few the title of “leader” no matter if their arguments are substantive and goal-oriented or not. From the Right, there has been an underlying theme of ridicule against these individuals and who they are as people with no mention of the subject matter. Thankfully, the latter isn’t coming from everyone, but that matters little. Even in just the minority, it still has no place and should be swiftly called out.

But the real problem with the Parkland student activism involves the Leftists and their creating pseudo-celebrities out of affected teenagers. Never have I seen such a glossy, hashtagged display from self-described victims and their handlers.

It is becoming a monstrous, trendy, flashy thing.

Worst of all? These youths are allowed to say whatever they want, whenever they want, to whomever they want.

No more.

Cameron Kasky, Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg and a few others have outstayed their welcome. Their hysterical activism is well-past its expiration date. This is not because we are unable to hear opposing viewpoints. It is entirely because these teens have been given a free pass to do as they please. When we in the audience dare to question them we’re told that victim-shaming has no place.

Well, I’m (not) sorry. Experiencing trauma of some kind does not give anyone a license to lie, accuse, and demean their fellow Americans. Period.

It is immoral to label Senator Marco Rubio a “kid killer” for his stance on the Second Amendment. It is immoral to claim Dana Loesch doesn’t care about her own children simply because she’s a proud pro-2A supporter and spokeswoman for the NRA. It is immoral to conclude that gun owners care more about their rights than they do people’s lives.

It. Is. Immoral. And it remains so despite Emma Gonzalez’s tearful display, David Hogg’s impassioned, fist-pumping nonsense, or Cameron Kasky’s loudmouth antics.

In the midst of this immorality, it is near-impossible to spread the truth. This is because the adults on the “guns are bad!” side are caught up in a masturbatory display. What these moral cowards have always wanted most of all is their own, newly-hatched band of social justice warriors poised to lead an army of kids forward into battle against so-called evil.

This is why they’ll issue no correction when these youngsters lie about people or policy while standing in the public square. The handlers, parents and other adults who know better, are only concerned with elevating them to mega-star status.

Celebrity sells. Truth does not.

And with a wave of feelings behind them, these “victims” can do no wrong. At least that’s what their side likes to think.

Saturday’s anti-gun March for Our Lives, which took place at various locations and was lead by these teens, is a prime example of a message gone way too far. As Sarah Rumpf (and others) pointed out, the gun-grabbing, anti-NRA frenzy is all the movement has become.

It is not about protecting rights of fellow citizens while identifying problem individuals and keeping firearms out of their maniacal hands. In fact, it never was.

Right now, we have a teen-led movement that is rotten because of who it fails to represent: everyone.

Without that inclusivity, it is but a flash in the pan. With uninhibited students in the lead and with no accountability required, it is destined to fail.

Pointing this out is not victim-shaming, it is placing blame where it rightly belongs.

Sure, march and protest. It is your right. But you are not taken seriously any longer, young ones. Time to move along.

Follow Kimberly Ross on Twitter: @southernkeeks.

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