Six weeks after Marjory Stoneman-Douglas students suffered one of the most deadly mass shootings in the history of the United States, they returned from spring break with new, mandatory clear backpacks waiting for them. Along with gates to funnel the students into the school in a controlled, easily-observable manner, the new backpacks were meant to deter any shooters from carrying weapons on school grounds.
Almost immediately, the tweets and critiques started flowing. Junior Kai Koerber told CNN that he lost friends, teachers, and now his privacy while wondering why metal detectors weren’t installed.
“It’s difficult, we all now have to learn how to deal with not only the loss of our friends, but now our right to privacy. My school was a place where everyone felt comfortable, it was a home away from home, and now that home has been destroyed.”
Then the students that have been propelled into a sort of celebrities of gun control protests through social media wielded their Twitter accounts in their typical, biting and heartfelt style.
Tomorrow we will have to go through security check points and be given clear backpacks, my school is starting to feel like a prison.
— Sarah Chadwick (@Sarahchadwickk) April 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/kyrahsimon/status/980805671175245824
Nothing beats a morning walk through fenced lines with a bag check! Where am I, again? pic.twitter.com/6gDPs8zZ3Q
— Delaney Tarr (@delaneytarr) April 2, 2018
Thousands of clear backpacks were donated to MSD…it’s a shame b/c they should’ve been given to a school that actually needs the supplies. But since we’re stuck with them, I decided to make the most out of the situation & decorate!! 👊🏼#MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/dgW7uNN536
— Jaclyn Corin (@JaclynCorin) April 2, 2018
This backpack is probably worth more than my life #trends #NeverAgain pic.twitter.com/sVAfRbt12R
— Carmen Lo // #NEVERAGAIN (@xo_karmin_ox) April 2, 2018
My new backpack is almost as transparent as the NRA’s agenda.
I feel sooo safe now.
As much as I appreciate the effort we as a country need to focus on the real issue instead of turning our schools into prisons. #clearbackpacks #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/HqBIeGjzF9
— Lauren Hogg (@lauren_hoggs) April 2, 2018
Junior Isabella Pfeiffer explained to CNN that she felt this was just a pacifier. “This isn’t a solution to making sure that a tragedy like the one that happened at Douglas doesn’t happen again,” she said. “Many of us think that this is a way that legislators can pacify us instead of enacting actual change.”
It’s almost as if everything can change, or be adjusted, but Congress is still resistant to passing impactful gun control legislation.
(Via CNN)