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In the wake of the Valentine's Day shooting in Parkland, Florida last week, students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have emerged as fierce advocates on gun safety, speaking out and organizing on the issue where adults have clearly failed.
Many now see high school students as a sleeping giant that has been awakened by this tragedy, and now billionaire progressive activist Tom Steyer just announced his plan to mobilize them nationally this November with a $1 million voter registration drive.
He released this video on Thursday:
I am tired of watching stories go unheard by politicians who continue to drag their feet on laws to protect America… https://t.co/LKwD2dLktg— Tom Steyer (@Tom Steyer) 1519346482.0
He said:
"Over the last week, we've all had a chance to hear the powerful, thoughtful, important appeals from the Floridian high school students about the need for meaningful gun control."
He announced he was teaming up with Gabby Giffords's gun violence prevention group as well as Everytown for Gun Safety to sponsor the voter registration drive.
Steyer's stated goal:
"that we don't just hear their voices and their feelings and their hearts on CNN, but that next November, their votes get counted by every official in America and they understand we either get gun reform now or we get rid of them then."
Twitter reacted with strong support at the news:
@TomSteyer Thank you for putting your money to good use. We love you and appreciate all that you are doing for America.— Resist.Every.Day (@Resist.Every.Day) 1519354033.0
@TomSteyer You, sir, are a true hero and patriot.— 🌊𝕵𝖚𝖉𝖞 𝕿𝖍𝖔𝖒𝖆𝖘🌊🍸🦅 (@🌊𝕵𝖚𝖉𝖞 𝕿𝖍𝖔𝖒𝖆𝖘🌊🍸🦅) 1519366053.0
@TomSteyer Thank you @TomSteyer. Your contributions towards the return to sanity will never be forgotten. Thank you for your generosity.— Ponder (@Ponder) 1519369231.0
Some shared resources to help teenagers get registered:
@TomSteyer 18 year olds can visit our voter resource center for links to official voter registration sites. 37 Stat… https://t.co/2S6p2BPJgk— 3M-TripleM✍️ (@3M-TripleM✍️) 1519350445.0
@TomSteyer High schools can start a voter registration club to reach out to eligible students and help them registe… https://t.co/7b13tc2Lcz— HKing Votes Blue (@HKing Votes Blue) 1519373895.0
And many wanted to pitch in:
@TomSteyer I would happily drive them to their polling places on Election day if they have no way to get there.. We… https://t.co/FqEJeWvgrv— Pissed Off Puerto Rican Woman (@Pissed Off Puerto Rican Woman) 1519348364.0
@TomSteyer I’ve been registering them. I carry registration forms in my car even. I believe that @realDonaldTrump w… https://t.co/SNqH52t6KQ— Kim (@Kim) 1519393899.0
@TomSteyer Thank you Tom. I’m also in the process of an initiative to help in this matter as well. “These” children… https://t.co/hOrob573C8— Bogi (@Bogi) 1519391597.0
This comes on the heels of news that Gabby Giffords's gun violence prevention group, Giffords, raised $1.2 million to help advocate for stricter gun control measures.
Gabby Giffords' group has raised more than $1,200,000 in the week since the Parkland school shooting, The Daily Bea… https://t.co/TtGaahPGPB— Kyle Griffin (@Kyle Griffin) 1519342183.0
It's clear that a movement is rising.