You know the drill: Active shooter on campus. Lockdown. Lights out. Huddle quietly on the floor in a corner with your classmates and wait… and wait… for someone, anyone, to do something about the epidemic of gun violence in the United States, which claims way too many young lives.
President Biden insists that the era of “thoughts and prayers” is over—but after all this time, and all this trauma, can we really expect action on gun control from our elected leaders? And are the steps they’re talking about really going to make our schools and neighborhoods safer?
For this episode, we welcome three student activists pushing for stricter gun laws here in Ohio, along with stronger efforts to address some of the root causes of armed violence. “This is an issue that affects all of us,” says Ethan Nichols, of Ohio Students for Gun Legislation, “and it is a public health crisis.”
The podcasters:
- Joyeuse Muhorakeye, Aiken H.S. (co-host)
- Enock Sadiki, Aiken H.S. (co-host)
- Brennan Jones, Finneytown H.S.
- Jordan Polk, University of Cincinnati
- Alex Bentley, University of Cincinnati/Transitions & Access Program
- Zach Maaieh, Ottawa Hills H.S., Toledo, Students Demand Action
- Cordelia Van der Veer, Toledo Technology Academy, Students Demand Action
- Ethan Nichols, Xavier University, Ohio Students for Gun Legislation
Podcast originally recorded Sunday, April 11, 2021, via Zoom.
Episode illustration photo:
On February 19, 2018, high school students from across the Washington, D.C. area held a “lie-in” in front of the White House to protest for stricter gun control laws. Photo by Joseph Gruber/Shutterstock
Learn more:
NPR: Biden’s Executive Actions On Gun Control: How Effective Might They Be?
New York Times: Can New Gun Violence Research Find a Path Around the Political Stalemate?
Everytown: The Impact of Gun Violence on Children and Teens
Education Week: School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where