Watch CBS News

Parkland Student: 'Politicians Won't Care Unless We Get Out There'

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

PARKLAND (CBSMiami) -- Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School paid a visit to Thurgood Marshall Academy in Washington, D.C., where two students died in shootings this past year. The tragedies have created a bond between the two schools.

"I would never wish that someone would have to go through something like I did, but you guys are facing gun violence every single day," said Stoneman Douglas student Alfonso Calderon.

Calderon and his classmates from Parkland drove home the point that taking part in the March for Our Lives on Saturday will be important, but voting may be the most important thing students do to change the nation's gun laws.

"If I were a politician ignoring my constituents I would not want to mess with the students from Thurgood Marshall High School," said Stoneman Douglas student Cameron Kasky.

"In all honesty, politicians won't care unless we get out there and vote," added fellow student leader David Hogg. "We must take action by voting to have our voices heard."

Parkland Students Join DC Students For Rally Ahead Of March For Our Lives

LIVE: Stoneman Douglas students join students at Thurgood Marshall Academy, a Washington, D.C. charter school for a rally in advance of #MarchForOurLives. Latest coverage: cbsmiami.com/msd

Posted by CBS Miami on Thursday, March 22, 2018

The Parkland students also met with congressional leaders and prosecutors from around the country, including Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. They listened as Stoneman Douglas student Aalayah Eastmond described the tragic events of February 14th.

"I lost two people in my class and others were injured," she said. "No student should have to cover themselves with a deceased student, but I was that student."

Also, Thursday, Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson introduced a federal "Red Flag" bill, aimed at preventing individuals who pose a danger to others from possessing firearms. A similar law was passed in Florida in response to the Stoneman Douglas shooting.

Click here for our latest coverage on the March For Our Lives.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.