David Hogg in Minneapolis: Work Together on Gun Violence

Last updated on: July 23, 2019 at 4:18 pm by Jack Hartjes

David Hogg in Minneapolis: Work Together on Gun Violence 2019-07-23T16:18:38-06:00 Jack Hartjes

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Parkland shooting survivor on running for office: If that’s what it takes…

Foto of David Hogg being videoed while talking with an older person.

David Hogg, spoke March 19 in Minneapolis.

Applause greeted David Hogg throughout his speech yesterday at the Westminster Townhall Forum in Minneapolis. The speech was broadcast live at noon on Minnesota Public Radio and again yesterday evening. Survivor of the mass murder at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, Hogg is completing a “gap” year of political activism on gun issues before entering college.

David Hogg and other Parkland students founded Never Again MSD and co-founded March for Our Lives, one of the largest youth-led movements in the world. With a younger sister, Lauren, he wrote “#Never Again: A New Generation Draws the Line,” a manifesto of the movement.

I’ve heard people say mere students can’t organize large demonstrations; outside instigators must be at work. Others believe the whole thing is an act. If any among Hogg’s 2000 listeners harbored those myths, they have surely abandoned them now. David Hogg was eloquent, unquestionably sincere, and completely in control of his subject and his audience.

White terrorism in New Zealand

Appropriately Hogg began by asking for a moment of silence for the 50 who died in the recent white terrorist event in New Zealand. He then proceeded to ponder whether people who do such things are insane or mentally imbalanced. He concluded with one of his many memorable lines: “Hate is not a mental illness.” Togetherness, he offered, is missing from school curricula. People of different backgrounds, colors, opinions, ethnicities, generations working together was a major focus of his talk.

Perhaps prompted by that event in New Zealand, Hogg spent some time relating the theme of white supremacy to the way Americans respond to gun violence. This country was not settled, he said, but colonized, invaded. He called Wounded Knee the largest mass murder in American history and decried the fact that it takes white people getting killed for people to rise up about gun violence. My heart skipped a beat when he told of a black girl who lost 20 friends in 20 separate incidents of gun violence and wondered why news media would cover his story but not hers. “It’s time to end white supremacy!”

The real enemy

David Hogg did not limit his concern to all-too-common but still relatively rare mass shootings. With tongue-in-cheek irony, he talked about the NRA’s concern for gun owners. Surely they want these people to be safe from guns that misfire or discharge unintentionally. Unfortunately, there are more safety regulations for toy guns than real ones. It’s against the law to sue gun manufacturers for unsafe guns. An NRA-promoted law prevents the government from studying the effectiveness of gun regulations. And that’s now the NRA shows its concern for gun owners.

Hogg took great care not to villainize anyone. He called the enemy “sources of evil,” not people. It’s lack of education, xenophobia, intolerance. It’s youth not knowing if they have a future. Hogg ended by appealing: “Work together, love each other, conquer fear and hate!”

The future for David Hogg

A question-and-answer period followed with David Hogg showing just as much poise and passion as during his speech. A questioner asked: “Have you spoken with people from the other side?” Hogg related an event in which he and others were speaking in Dallas. About 30 armed protesters shouted racial slurs and other accusations outside the facility. Afterwards the presenters spoke calmly with the protesters. One asked David, “Why do you want to take our guns away?” He answered, first, with some questions:

Are you a domestic abuser? – No.
Are you a terrorist? – No.
Are you going to kill yourself? – No
Then I’m not trying to take your guns away.

There must have been more to the conversation than that. David said it ended with a hug.

Another questioner asked if he thought the youth of America would save this country. Hogg responded by asking how many in the audience—there were lots of young people there—thought so. After a show of hands, he said, “You’re wrong!” Young people need to be listened to, but there is no leading in front or behind, only leading with.

Asked if he would run for office, Hogg replied he hoped not to have to. It shouldn’t take young people getting out into the streets for Congress to do the right thing. “Universal background checks polls better than puppies!” Would he run for office? “If that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes.”

Image credit: Miami New Times, via Google Images

Pro-Life

Previous Post

March 18, 2019

The Temptation in the Desert: Jesus Won’t be the Hero

Next Post

March 22, 2019 John the Baptist Mentors Jesus until they Part Ways

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Christmas Amazon Synod Angels Being Consumed Bible Catholic Modern Creed Ecology Economics Elizabeth Johnson Eucharist Fragments and Filaments Gender and Sex Gospel of Mark Herzog Historical Jesus Liturgy Luke Opening Scriptures on Way to Emmaus Ordinary radicals Parables Pro-Life Reincarnation Rosary Sacraments science Social Justice Souls Stories of Jesus The Creed Torture and Eucharist Tracy Uncategorized War and Peace

Select a Month October 2026 June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 November 2024 July 2024 March 2024 December 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz