Feb. 15, 2019

It has been one year since the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. We are reminded that 17 students and teachers lost their lives in a senseless act of violence. Like never before, the students of Parkland rose up to force adults to face the unpleasant facts about gun violence. Parkland students joined with students from around the country to remind us of the impact that gun violence has had on our schools and many of our neighborhoods. Since Parkland, 11 members of the congregation of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh died; seven are still recovering. In 2018, deaths related to gun violence, including suicide, reached the highest level in 40 years.
 
Parkland survivors challenged adults to respond. They promoted tighter gun laws in Florida, and won some small victories there. They organized the massive march in Washington and simultaneous demonstrations in most major cities in the U.S. They advocated for writing letters to Congress and asked voters to prioritize the gun violence issue when voting in 2018. Perhaps the results of the Congressional elections represent a step toward long-overdue reforms of gun legislation in our country. After every mass shooting, gun rights advocates say it is too soon to consider reforms. They are confident that, over time, we will forget. Parkland, Tree of Life, Las Vegas, Orlando, Sandy Hook, Sutherland Springs, Virginia Tech, Columbine....
 
Our middle schoolers organized a walkout to the Peace Circle yesterday to remember the one-year anniversary of the Parkland massacre. They didn’t forget.
 
In Peace,
 
Larry
Back

Located in College Park, MD, Friends Community School is a progressive Quaker K-8 day school, founded on the belief that every child is a valued member of our community. We offer a challenging curriculum imbued with strong values of equality, integrity, community, environmental stewardship, simplicity and peaceful conflict resolution, rooted in our Quaker heritage.
Friends Community School
5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-441-2100