TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Sadness reverberated across the country on Sunday when Americans, including President Joe Biden, joined a Florida community to remember the 17 lives lost three years ago in the Parkland school shooting massacre.
“In seconds, the lives of dozens of families and the life of an American community have changed forever,” said Biden in a statement released on Sunday.
The president took the opportunity to ask Congress to strengthen gun laws, including the requirement to check the background of all arms sales and the ban on assault weapons.
There was no time to wait, said the president. “We owe it to everyone we lost and everyone left behind to make a change. The time to act is now. “
Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the flags to be lowered for half the team from sunrise to sunset across the state to honor those who died when a former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas opened fire on campus with an AR-15 rifle on Valentine’s Day in 2018.
When the shooting ended, 14 students and three staff were dead and 17 others were injured. The suspect, Nikolas Cruz, is still awaiting trial.
In his proclamation for a day of remembrance, DeSantis urged other Florida residents to stop for a moment of silence at 3 pm on Sunday.
“The resilient Parkland community in the wake of the tragedy, reminding us how strong and united Florida residents can be in the face of such a devastating loss,” said the governor in his proclamation.
The Republican governor also noted some of the school security measures enacted since the tragedy three years ago, including money to install panic alert systems in schools across the state and to strengthen programs designed to prevent violence before it occurs.
The panic alert measure was dubbed “Alyssa’s Law”, in honor of Alyssa Alhadeff, 14, one of the students killed three years ago.
Parkland’s parents are divided over how lawmakers should respond.
Ryan Petty, whose daughter Alaina was 14 when she was killed in the shooting, addressed the president in a tweet on Sunday.
“Sir. President, thank you for remembering the loved ones that were taken from us three years ago,” he wrote. “Alaina loved this country and the freedoms it guarantees. Common sense tells us that honoring her life does not require violating rights law-abiding citizens. ”
In an interview on Sunday, Petty said the president’s proposals will not prevent further tragedies.
“It is wrong to focus on the gun,” said Petty, who is now a member of the state school board. “For those who understand what happened that day, there were mistakes. This was the most preventable school shooting in our country’s history. The warning signs were there. It was clear that the killer had intentions of attacking the school. “
Petty remembered her daughter as a friend to everyone and told how important community service was to her.
“For those of us who lost loved ones that day, it’s a lot like any other day. We miss them. There is nothing we can do to bring them back. The only thing we can do is move on and try to honor your memories and make sure it doesn’t happen to other families, “he said.
But critics of the governor and the Republican-controlled legislature say the weapons are easily accessible and say more needs to be done to keep assault weapons away from potentially bad actors.
“The passage of time did little to cure the disgust we felt when we heard the shocking news three years ago, nor did it dampen our sense of indignation at the consequent lack of legislative action by lawmakers since that horrible morning – laws that would prevent another Parkland from ever happening again. ”Said Manny Diaz, president of the Florida Democratic Party.
Over the years, deadly violence against schools has rocked the country – including the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting that claimed 32 lives and the Sandy Hook primary school massacre in 2012. Even before the Parkland tragedy, there was a lot of anguish in Florida because of weapons violence. Less than two years earlier, another sniper shot at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 people.
None of the deadly events has produced comprehensive gun laws. The mass shootings galvanized gun control advocates, who met with resistance from Republican lawmakers and their 2nd Amendment allies. It remains to be seen what will be done at the federal level, despite the Democratic control of the White House and both chambers of Congress.
“This government is not going to wait for the next mass shooting to answer that call. We will take steps to end our epidemic of armed violence and make our schools and communities safer, “said the president in his statement on Sunday.
In addition to background checks and a ban on assault weapons, Biden is asking Congress to outlaw high-capacity magazines and hold gun manufacturers accountable for the role their products play in violence.
“For three years, Parkland families have gone on birthdays and holidays without their loved ones,” said Biden.
“Today, while we cry with the Parkland community, we cry for everyone who has lost loved ones due to armed violence,” he said.
“Over the past three years, the Parkland families have taught all of us something profound,” continued the president. “Repeatedly, they showed us how we can turn our pain into purpose – to march, organize and build a strong, inclusive and durable movement for change.”
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Follow Bobby Caina Calvan on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BobbyCalvan.