Thanks, brave Parkland students

To the editor:

I want to take a moment to recognize all the students from my district and across the country who participated in the recent March for Our Lives. They deserve the thanks of a grateful nation.

They should be thanked for their courage, their passion and their voice. In a short time, they’ve awoken the American consciousness, and transformed an unspeakable tragedy into a turning point for our country. 

When before there was only despair and disappointment, their advocacy has given us hope — hope that the younger generation can break through the barriers that have impeded progress for far too long.

We’ve already begun to see the thaw in places like Florida, where some simple gun violence prevention bills made their way through a Republican-controlled legislature. It may not seem like much, but it’s a start, and a step that was all but impossible before.

When our nation suffered through other gun tragedies, lawmakers in the pockets of the NRA used to be able to hide behind “thoughts and prayers,” pay lip service to the problem, delay action by deflecting blame, and ultimately outlast the outrage. 

But not anymore, thanks to these brave students.

Now those same lawmakers are finding it impossible to run away and hide until it’s safe to come out and resume business as usual.

Thanks to these students, those of us in Congress who have fought tooth and nail for commonsense gun control laws and reform now have a new and powerful coalition of allies. Not just allies, leaders.

Leaders who aren’t afraid to stand up to the gun lobby, look them in their callous eyes, and say, “enough is enough.”

Yes, we still have a long way to go. Things like universal background checks, reinstating the assault weapons ban, banning armor-piercing bullets, and limiting magazine capacities won’t happen overnight. 

But I am encouraged now more than ever that someday soon we’ll get there.

These aren’t outlandish ideas, after all. 

These students have inspired a nation and reminded us all that as dark as some of our days get, our future — America’s future — is still very bright indeed.

For that, they deserve our thanks.

Eliot Engel

The author is a congressman who represents New York’s 16th District.