Following the horrific school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many of the students have refused to let these incidents remain the status quo, standing up against Republican lawmakers and the NRA and being eloquent voices for change. Their activism has drawn a mix of criticism and praise, but it’s safe to say that Bill Murray is firmly on the same side as these fierce young adults.
In a recent interview with NBC News, Murray compares this new generation of activists with those who protested against the Vietnam War.
“It was the students who made all the news, and that noise started, and then the movement wouldn’t stop. I think, maybe, this noise that those students in Florida are making – here, today – will do something of the same nature.”
Murray continued, expressing concern over the fear and anxiety that students are facing just by attending school in the wake of this and other massacres.
“For children to be concerned about going to school, worried about what could happen to them at school, that makes for a horrible moment. It’s just a horrible place for us to be at.”
However, he really hits the nail on the head when speaking about the importance of idealism, even when the world seems particularly bleak.
“The thing that’s so powerful about students is that, when you haven’t had your idealism broken yet, you’re able to speak from a place that has no confusion, where there is a clear set of values.
But there are idealists left over the age of 18, I’m sure of it. Idealism is a voice that’s inside of you; it’s your conscience. That can really deteriorate along the way, depending on the road that you follow, and it can become almost dysfunctional, but it’s there. Everyone has it. Sometimes it’s just a whisper, but, in some people, it’s a shout.”
Breaking news: Bill Murray continues to be a national treasure.
(Via NBC News)
