Tag: marjory stoneman douglas high school

Does Generation Z, Americans born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, look at politics differently from previous generations, like Baby Boomers or even Millennials, such that they will change America and remake the world in its image? Political scientists often overlook generations as an important variable in politics shaping attitudes and behavior. A generational consciousness is triggered by some major event in adolescence that defines a set of political values that shape the views both initially in youth, and approximately 20 years later when that group matures and assumes leadership positions when they can act on their beliefs. The reason for this is simple: Right now the oldest Gen Z is 23 — they are only now coming of voting age. Yet in the ANES study if simply asked if liberal versus conservative, 22.3 percent of Millennials say liberal and 27.1 percent say conservative, while it is 24.7 percent and 30 percent respectively for Gen Z. In ANES, when asked what should immigration levels be, 22.1 percent of Millennials say it should be increased a lot or a little compared to 28.4 percent of Gen Z. Conversely, 35.2 percent of Millennials say immigration levels should be decreased a little or a lot compared to 28.9 percent of Gen Z. Gen Z comes out more liberal on two of the more salient issues in American politics. When asked in the ANES how important the gun access issue is, 59.2 percent of Millennials say it is extremely or very important compared to 56.8 percent for Gen Z. Guns back in 2016 might have been a more important issue to Millennials than Gen Z because of their history with school shootings, and this was of course before the Parkland shooting. On just these issues it is difficult to discern significant differences in political ideology between Millennials and Gen Z. If Mannheim is correct, generational attitudes are formed in adolescence by a major triggering event.

What can poetry do in the face of gun violence? Critic at large Adriana E. Ramirez attended a reading — in Florida, not long after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland — that paired the work of poets with the voices of the families of survivors. "Throughout the anthology and evening, the image of a loved one, usually a mother, still crying, still holding on, permeates," she writes. "The image emerges again and again, but it's never old. The pain of losing someone is always fresh, always necessary." Entering our nonfiction list this week is "After/Image" by Lynell George at No. 9. The Los Angeles author and journalist is also a photographer with a keen eye; this book looks at Los Angeles' disappearing landscapes through a personal lens. George will be at the Festival of Books on the panel "Photography and Narrative" with Geoff Dyer and Karen Tei Yamashita, moderated by David L. Ulin.

Called Americans for Gun Safety Now, the group is spearheaded by Ambassador Al Hoffman Jr., a Florida estate real developer and GOP donor who served as Ambassador to Portugal under George W. Bush. The group has devised a six-point plan for comprehensive gun legislation, which is outlined in an ad it ran in the Wall Street Journal Saturday, urging Congress to pass it as soon as possible. “If they don’t do this, my guess is that they will lose big in November.” The details of the group were first reported by TIME earlier this month, but Hoffman officially launched the group Saturday, to coincide with the March For Our Lives demonstration in Washington D.C., which he is attending. They include Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed in the shooting; Republican Congressmen Carlos Curbelo and Brian Mast, who authored a New York Times op-ed last month supporting a ban on assault weapons; and Dennis Blair, who served as Director of National Intelligence from 2009 to 2010. Presumably, this could provide cover for other Republicans who want to contribute to the group but don’t want to disclose that they have done so. That those who stay on the wrong side of this movement they’re [going to] lose their traditional donor money,” Guttenberg said in an interview with TIME. “I’m going to encourage anyone whose involved with giving money to any member of the Republican party not to give money to these candidates that will not endorse this plan,” he said. And convincing Congress to pass comprehensive gun safety legislation may seem like a breeze compared to the ultimate objective of the group: implementing a complete ban on assault weapons which is what Hoffman originally said was his red line for supporting candidates and lawmakers following the Parkland shooting. Overall, Hoffman does not seem oblivious to the mountainous challenges that lie ahead of this group, despite the influence some of the supporters hold within the Republican party. “But you know, this is my swan song, and I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.”

The student activists from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., who survived a school shooting last month and then used the harrowing experience to ignite a national debate on gun control, are scheduled to speak at the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School next week. On March 20, Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Cameron Kasky, and several others will take part in a panel discussion called, “#NEVERAGAIN: How Parkland Students are Changing the Conversation on Guns,” according to event details. The discussion, which will be moderated by Meighan Stone, a fellow at the Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy, will detail the work the students have accomplished since Feb. 14, when 17 students and teachers at their high school were killed by a former student. Dustin Chiang, president of the IOP Student Advisory Committee, said the institute is enthusiastic about hosting the students, a group that has spearheaded a national conversation about enacting stricter gun-control measures in hopes of preventing yet another mass shooting. “The Institute of Politics is looking forward to welcoming students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to the JFK Jr. Forum,” Chiang said in a statement to the Globe. People who sign up for the event will be picked through a lottery system and notified via e-mail, according to organizers. In the wake of the deadly attack, several of the students have risen to prominence, making regular television appearances, rallying their classmates, and becoming ardent representatives of the activism that has spread to high schools across the country. On Wednesday, March 14, students nationwide are planning “walk outs” to draw attention to gun violence. And on March 24, the “March for Our Lives” will take place in Washington, D.C., with similar marches planned in other cities that same day, including Boston. Steve Annear can be reached at steve.annear@globe.com.

A self-help book tells us that “buying or purchasing items can be understood as a metaphor for accepting uplifting beliefs about the self or circumstances ... consider ‘buying into’ thoughts and ideas to improve yourself, [such as] ‘I buy into the principle that abundant finances are good for me.’” A government official told The New York Times that the only way to make political change is to first gauge “the public buy-in” for reforms. If a fundamental belief in American goodness and effectiveness and power—the belief inherent in Marco Rubio’s “number one” answer to Kasky’s question, the enduring usability of the Constitution—could no longer be sustained, what could take its place? A belief in the market! Politically, we seem to have no real way, now, of asserting the value of a proposition—to defend it to the hilt—except for noting that it’s popular. Of course, we know, deep down, that just because lots of people support an idea doesn’t mean it’s right. And just because lots of people support an idea doesn’t mean, as Adam Smith noted, that they are doing what’s most reasonable, nor even that their personal reasons are clear-cut. After the town hall, Rubio defended himself further on Twitter: “Banning all semi-auto weapons may have been popular with the audience at #CNNTownHall, but it is a position well outside the mainstream,” he insisted. That would make the world, to the left, comprehensible, instead of peopled by a whole bunch of voters whose consumer choices on the political marketplace appear not only incomprehensible, but, more importantly, reprehensible. The entire town hall exchange was heartbreaking. I’d ask whether Rubio’s would have been, too.

The Story: In the weeks since the Stoneman Douglas shootings, much public attention has focused on the action or inaction of the Broward County Sheriff's...

Subscribe to the Real Time YouTube: http://itsh.bo/10r5A1B Bill and his guests - David Hogg, Cameron Kasky, Eric Holder, Jon Meacham, and Amy Chua – answer viewer questions after the show. Connect with Real Time Online: Find Real Time on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maher Find…

Subscribe to the Real Time YouTube: http://itsh.bo/10r5A1B Running the government is no easy task and some officials need help remembering their lines. Connect with Real Time Online: Find Real Time on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maher Find Real Time on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealTimers Find…

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) Scalise, who was shot last year in an attack on a congressional baseball practice, noted that the FBI has admitted that it failed to follow up on a tip about the alleged gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz. "We've seen so many breakdowns in different levels of government. Federal, of course, with the FBI completely dropping the ball months ago when they had this kid handed to them on a silver platter. Many of the students who survived the shooting, as well as Democrats, have called for stricter gun control laws. President Trump has called for "comprehensive" background checks, in addition to calling for the end of bump stock sales and a rise in the age required to purchase weapons like the AR-15. However, the National Rifle Association and many Republicans have spoken out against raising the age to buy an AR-15. Law enforcement's response to the shooting has also come under intense scrutiny. Broward County police and the FBI were reportedly warned that Cruz could pose a threat prior to the shooting. The police department has also been hit after it was revealed that officers allegedly failed to enter the building after responding to calls about a shooter.

The Story: President Donald Trump issued a memorandum Tuesday, February 20, directing his Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, to find a way to ban firearm accessories...