The Parkland massacre — and a subsequent assault rifle scare at their own school — affected, then galvanized many Staples High students.
Audrey Bernstein and Kaela Dockray met with Florida survivors, and began speaking out. Over 1,000 students participated in last week’s walkout.
Elana Atlas took to the internet.
She’s just a freshman — though you wouldn’t know it from her activism.
Elana Atlas, at work.
First, she composed 3 letters. One is for Republican legislators. Another is for Democrats. The third is for President Trump.
Though each is different, they share the same message: The founding fathers gave all of us rights to life and security. They did not give anyone the right to an AR-15.
“I am not asking you to ban all guns,” Elana writes. “I am asking you to ban the ones that are not necessary, that aren’t our right to have, the ones that are meant for mass killing. These include all automatic and semiautomatic guns, as well as bump stocks.”
Her letter ends, “We are fed up with thoughts and prayers. The time for change is now.”
Elana distributed the letters to friends across the country, and asked them to pass it on too. She called them templates, which anyone could revise as they wished.
But she wanted even more people to see her letter — and learn about gun issues.
The result is ActionAgainstGunViolence. The strongly researched, well-presented website, is a go-to site for anyone interested in facts, resources and action.
Elana Atlas’ website includes these heartbreaking texts between Parkland High School student Matthew Zeif and his younger brother Ben.
Elana has collected background information on the epidemic of school shootings; texts sent by terrified students in the midst of gunfire; counter-arguments to the “right to bear arms” clause; links to gun safety organizations; advice on how to start your own movement — and of course, her letter templates.
She even cites all her sources. Her teachers have taught her well.
Now — like students all across this town and country — she is taking everything she’s learned in school.
And turning it into action for her country.
(Click here to visit Elana Atlas’ website.)