johnnymac101
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They were definately videotaping the show, not sure where it will show up!
Blah, blah, blah... Marjory Stoneman alumni discuss gun violence reform in Somerville - The Boston Globe
Alumni of Parkland, Fla., school discuss gun violence reform in Somerville
By Alana Levene
GLOBE CORRESPONDENT MARCH 20, 2018
SOMERVILLE — Area graduates of the Florida high school where 17 people were fatally shot last month gathered here Monday for a roundtable discussion on advocating for stricter gun laws. It was the first in a series of events that will culminate in Saturday’s March For Our Lives. More than 800 demonstrations are planned around the world.
About 60 people attended the discussion at the Aeronaut Brewing Company in Somerville, many wearing burgundy and silver — the colors of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Speakers touched on the political underpinnings of guns, effective lobbying, and the #NeverAgain movement, the rallying cry of many Parkland shooting survivors.
“Gun safety is a new issue to a lot of us,” said Michael Falcone, a 2004 Stoneman graduate. “We realized that we needed to educate ourselves as to what the current laws are, and how we can advocate for better laws. That’s the goal Alumni of Parkland, Fla., school discuss gun violence reform in Somerville By Alana Levene GLOBE CORRESPONDENT MARCH 20, 2018 Metro for this evening.”
“We’re dubbing this week ‘Eagle Pride Week’ to help amplify the voices of the students that are calling for change,” said Alicia Curran, of Somerville, a 2001 Stoneman graduate. Since the shooting, more than 11,000 Stoneman alumni have joined online communities to reconnect, mobilize their efforts, and advocate for stricter gun laws, Curran said. More than 100 graduates are part of the school’s New England group on Facebook, including college freshmen and members of Stoneman’s first graduating class in the 1990s.
At the roundtable, panelists discussed how people can best lobby for stricter gun laws. State Representative Marjorie C. Decker discussed a bill she has introduced that would temporarily disarm people who are determined to present a danger to themselves or others.
Decker, as well as US Representative Michael E. Capuano and Angus McQuilken of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, urged audience members to support gun control legislation by lobbying their representatives. “This is the best time I’ve seen for the chances of getting something actually done in Washington,” Capuano said. Leah Goldman, a 2000 Stoneman graduate, said she was touched to see local community members with no connection to Parkland alongside alumni at the roundtable.
“Seeing my hometown and my high school in the news all the time, it feels like it’s a very personal issue,” Goldman said. “To see people who don’t have that personal connection be just as motivated to make change and follow in the footsteps of the kids that are leading this message from Douglas, it’s really motivating.”
On Saturday, local Stoneman graduates plan to march together in Boston’s March for Our Lives. “This definitely hits home for us,” said 2009 Stoneman alumna Vicki Lacertosa. “We’re very prideful of the school, and we’re [giving voice to] as many voices as we can.”
Blah, blah, blah... Marjory Stoneman alumni discuss gun violence reform in Somerville - The Boston Globe
Alumni of Parkland, Fla., school discuss gun violence reform in Somerville
By Alana Levene
GLOBE CORRESPONDENT MARCH 20, 2018
SOMERVILLE — Area graduates of the Florida high school where 17 people were fatally shot last month gathered here Monday for a roundtable discussion on advocating for stricter gun laws. It was the first in a series of events that will culminate in Saturday’s March For Our Lives. More than 800 demonstrations are planned around the world.
About 60 people attended the discussion at the Aeronaut Brewing Company in Somerville, many wearing burgundy and silver — the colors of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Speakers touched on the political underpinnings of guns, effective lobbying, and the #NeverAgain movement, the rallying cry of many Parkland shooting survivors.
“Gun safety is a new issue to a lot of us,” said Michael Falcone, a 2004 Stoneman graduate. “We realized that we needed to educate ourselves as to what the current laws are, and how we can advocate for better laws. That’s the goal Alumni of Parkland, Fla., school discuss gun violence reform in Somerville By Alana Levene GLOBE CORRESPONDENT MARCH 20, 2018 Metro for this evening.”
“We’re dubbing this week ‘Eagle Pride Week’ to help amplify the voices of the students that are calling for change,” said Alicia Curran, of Somerville, a 2001 Stoneman graduate. Since the shooting, more than 11,000 Stoneman alumni have joined online communities to reconnect, mobilize their efforts, and advocate for stricter gun laws, Curran said. More than 100 graduates are part of the school’s New England group on Facebook, including college freshmen and members of Stoneman’s first graduating class in the 1990s.
At the roundtable, panelists discussed how people can best lobby for stricter gun laws. State Representative Marjorie C. Decker discussed a bill she has introduced that would temporarily disarm people who are determined to present a danger to themselves or others.
Decker, as well as US Representative Michael E. Capuano and Angus McQuilken of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, urged audience members to support gun control legislation by lobbying their representatives. “This is the best time I’ve seen for the chances of getting something actually done in Washington,” Capuano said. Leah Goldman, a 2000 Stoneman graduate, said she was touched to see local community members with no connection to Parkland alongside alumni at the roundtable.
“Seeing my hometown and my high school in the news all the time, it feels like it’s a very personal issue,” Goldman said. “To see people who don’t have that personal connection be just as motivated to make change and follow in the footsteps of the kids that are leading this message from Douglas, it’s really motivating.”
On Saturday, local Stoneman graduates plan to march together in Boston’s March for Our Lives. “This definitely hits home for us,” said 2009 Stoneman alumna Vicki Lacertosa. “We’re very prideful of the school, and we’re [giving voice to] as many voices as we can.”
