Colorado Students Leave Vigil when Politicians Use Tragedy to Call for More Gun Control

The Democrats started their 2020 primaries incredibly early. We’ve finally reached the point where the runners are splintering into separate groups depending on their top issues. So, almost a full year before the first primary vote, we get to see how many Democrats are in favor of draconian gun control.

Cory Booker has an early lead, but Joe Biden and Kamala Harris aren’t trailing far behind him with their anti-gun plans for their presidencies. This week though Democrats are being railed for their comments on gun control following the Colorado school shooting.

In the wake of the devastating tragedy, a handful of kids surprised the country with their grace and poise. If such a thing is possible, this story is the exact opposite of what you remember about the school shooting in Florida last year.

The Shooting

Normally, you would have to live under a rock to miss news of a school shooting in this country. The recent tragedy in Colorado did receive national attention, but it was muted. That’s probably because exceptional heroism mitigated the damage. In case you missed them, here are the details that matter.

Two young shooters attacked the Colorado school. A total of eight people were shot in the process. During the attack, multiple heroes attacked the shooters, despite being unarmed. In addition to that, the law enforcement response time was under five minutes. It’s hard to say that anything is going right in the midst of a school shooting, but multiple people behaved admirably during one of the worst scenarios any of us can imagine.

Among those heroes is someone who needs special recognition. Kendrick Castillo was a student of the STEM school that was attacked. In the heat of the moment, he charged one of the shooters and enabled many other kids to escape. He heroically exchanged his life in the process. He was the only person killed in the attack.

In times of tragedy, Americans are known for their ability to come together and support each other. This seemed to be the intent when a few groups worked to hold a vigil after the shooting. It was supposed to be a moment of community and healing, but to no one’s surprise, the vigil was usurped by gun control activists and politicians.

We’ve seen this charade enough times to know how it goes. No respect is given to those hurt by the tragedy. Instead, they’re used as props for a political agenda that can’t even let the smoke clear before we all start screaming at each other.

The response of these Colorado students will floor you. When they saw their pain politicized, they simply walked away. The students left the vigil in the middle of a speech and convened elsewhere to hold their own memorial for their killed and injured friends. When they were later asked about their actions, they explained that they were not interested in having their tragedy politicized. One student explained it quite well, “We can’t be used [as] a reason for gun control, we are people, not a statement.”

Whatever they have been teaching at STEM, it seems to be working superlatively. This community has raised a body of students who are mature beyond their years and have handled the worst of tragedies far better than most of us. They deserve every bit of praise we can send their way.

Standing up for What Is Right

This is a complete 180 from what we’ve seen in the past. The heat of the moment and the influence of mainstream media are powerful agents. Even good people are swept up by them and end up behaving in a regrettable manner. Just ask Cameron Kasky.

So many students and parents walked out (estimates are that over a hundred people left) of the vigil that the organizers of the event were forced to issue an apology. Students upset by the politicization of their tragedy reportedly shouted at journalists, “Political stunt!” and “We are people, not a statement!”

Instead of the usual mess, this tragedy has exemplified what the best of America really looks like. Real kids, at the peak of their pain and horror, found the ability to rise above political baiting and the ruthless division that seems to be plaguing our country. We can all learn important lessons from these kids. In the midst of the worst moment imaginable, hope has gained a new foothold.

This is what happens when we free ourselves from the propaganda of mainstream media. We remember our roots. We return to civility and honor. We find that America is full of heroes and worthy of our celebration. These kids didn’t just stick it to the gun control lobby. They restored a piece of our country’s soul, and we thank them for that.