Many valuable lessons in life are learned in the hardest way possible.

On Feb. 14, 2018, Republicans in Florida learned what almost two decades of loosened laws around responsible gun ownership truly meant for the state when my daughter was one of 17 people murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by a 19-year-old man with an AR-15 assault rifle.

Jaime was 14 and the light of my life. We were still mapping out her life, traveling to dance competitions and reveling in the joy that only comes from knowing that your whole life is still ahead of you.

When she was murdered that day by a former student with an AR-15 who was able to get on campus, I vowed to do all I could to make sure that no other parent ever again had to feel the anguish my family felt. Working with other powerful advocates for our children, we were able to convince Republicans in Tallahassee to put politics aside and pass much-needed common-sense gun safety reforms that have helped save lives in the years since.

The political message from that day for Republicans should have been that this was not only morally correct, but also politically the right thing to do. None of them lost their jobs. In fact, not only have they all been reelected, some have been elected to even higher office.
Fred Guttenberg: “Permitless carry will cost lives in our state.”

Unfortunately, it now appears Republicans, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, have forgotten the lessons of Parkland. This isn’t surprising from the governor, who said while campaigning in 2018 that he would not have signed the reform package passed in the wake of the massacre. But it’s an incredibly disappointing turn of events from many of the same legislators who looked the Parkland families in the eye and vowed then to help save the lives of children.   READ MORE….