Feb 21, 2018 - Politics & Policy
Father of Parkland victim: "We as a country have failed our children"
Students and parents who have been affected by gun violence from Columbine, Sandy Hook and the latest school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, among others, came face-to-face with President Trump on Wednesday giving emotional remarks and offering solutions to gun control in the U.S. at a listening session at the White House.
- Justin Gruber, student: "I'm only 15 years old...I was born into a world where I never got to experience safety and peace. There needs to be a significant change in this country."
- Ariana Klein, student: "This is not just Parkland anymore, this is America, this is every student in every city."
- Father of Parkland student Justin Gruber: "If he's not old enough to buy a beer, he shouldn't be old enough to buy a gun."
- Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed: "We as a country failed our children...I can't get on a plane with a bottle of water, but some animal could walk into a school and shoot our children."
- Samuel Zeif, student: "I can't feel comfortable in my country, knowing that people...are ever going to feel like this. I want to feel safe at school."
- Mayor of Parkland, Florida, Christine Hunschofsky, told President Trump that "we have to at some point care enough and be strong enough to come up with solutions" to gun violence."
Go deeper: Trump on ending gun violence: "We're going to get it done."