Florida Students Press for Gun Law Change

 

Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are pressuring state lawmakers in Florida to consider gun control laws. The move comes after 17 students and teachers were killed in last week’s shooting.

The students have organized a demonstration¹ for Wednesday in the state capital of Tallahassee to put pressure on the Republican-controlled legislature.

“I really think they are going to hear us out,” said Chris Grady, a senior who plans to attend the demonstration. He said he hopes the trip will lead to some “commonsense gun laws like rigorous background checks.” Background checks are short investigations² of people who seek to buy weapons.

Shortly after the shooting, several legislators visited the school to see the damage. They appeared shaken afterward³.

Some Republican Party lawmakers said Monday that they would consider new gun laws. However, there is still strong resistance by many Republicans to any gun control measures.

Senator Bill Galvano is a Republican and the incoming Florida senate president. He said the Florida Senate was considering several measures, including raising the age to buy guns to 21. He also said it was considering a waiting period for gun purchases, creation of gun violence restraining orders, and banning bump stocks. These are devices that permit much quicker repeat firing of a rifle.

Officials said Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old suspect in last week shooting, had shown warning signs of psychological problems that could lead to violence. Last year, he legally purchased the semi-automatic rifle he used in last week's attack.

The Senate also is considering increasing spending for mental health programs in schools and giving police greater powers to detain someone considered a danger to themselves. The Senate will also look at a proposal to deputize a teacher or someone else at school to permit gun possession.

Still, some Republicans questioned whether additional gun restrictions⁵ are the answer.

Republican Senator Dennis Baxley said, “I really don’t want to see this politicized into a gun debate.” He added, “We have a terrible problem with obesity⁶, but we’re not banning forks and spoons.”

Democrats⁷ believe raising the age limit and creating a waiting period to buy rifles is not enough.

Democratic Senator Gary Farmer called such proposals a “joke.” He said, “I don’t see that as a restriction⁴. It never should have been that an 18-year-old could buy an assault weapon. No Floridians should be able to buy an assault weapon.”

U.S. federal law permits those 18 and over to buy rifles. Cruz passed the required investigations to buy the AR-15 he used in the attack as well as at least six other rifles.

Since the attack, students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have become increasingly vocal⁸ about their demands for gun control measures.

Many are publicly naming the politicians who take financial support from the National Rifle Association. Some criticized President Donald Trump⁹ for blaming Democrats. The critics say Trump has taken no action.

Trump announced on Tuesday that he has directed the U.S. attorney general to create rules that would ban bump stocks.

The high school students are also calling for anti-gun violence demonstrations¹⁰ on March 24 in Washington, D.C. and other cities.

Words in This Story

rigorous - adj. very strict and demanding

fork and spoon - n. eating tools used to pick up food

vocal - adj. expressing opinions in a public and forceful way

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

3 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

4 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

9 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

10 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。