There has been a sense that - for whatever reason - the school shooting in Florida was somehow a tipping point in the national debate on gun violence, gun culture, and the laws which govern purchasing and owning firearms. After the Sandy Hook massacre, I think America was too shocked, too grief-stricken to mobilize in a meaningful way (perhaps it was because of "gun-grabbing" President Obama in the White House). This time it's definitely different. The kids who died and those who survived are on the cusp of adulthood, and have been very eloquent in their descriptions of the horrors, and their desire to effect a change.
After some fits and starts, the FL legislature
passed a bill yesterday that addresses some of the issues that lead to these types of school shootings. Some are complaining it is weak tea, but in a state known for its lax gun laws, the changes included are definitely a step in the right direction:
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