X González

The people in the government who were voted into power are lying to us. And us kids seem to be the only ones who notice and our parents to call BS.

X González (born 11 November 1999) is an American activist, a former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student, and a Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor.

Quotes

In a little over six minutes, 17 of our friends were taken from us, 15 more were injured, and everyone, absolutely everyone in the Douglas community was forever altered. Everyone who was there understands. Everyone who has been touched by the cold grip of gun violence understands.

• The people in the government who were voted into power are lying to us. And us kids seem to be the only ones who notice and our parents to call BS.
  Companies trying to make caricatures of the teenagers these days, saying that all we are self-involved and trend-obsessed and they hush us into submission when our message doesn't reach the ears of the nation, we are prepared to call BS.
  Politicians who sit in their gilded House and Senate seats funded by the NRA telling us nothing could have been done to prevent this, we call BS.
  They say tougher guns laws do not decrease gun violence. We call BS.
  They say a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun. We call BS.
  They say guns are just tools like knives and are as dangerous as cars. We call BS.
  They say no laws could have prevented the hundreds of senseless tragedies that have occurred. We call BS.
  That us kids don't know what we're talking about, that we're too young to understand how the government works. We call BS.
  If you agree, register to vote. Contact your local congresspeople. Give them a piece of your mind.
  • Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17, 2018 (CNN Staff (February 17, 2018). "Florida student Emma Gonzalez to lawmakers and gun advocates: 'We call BS'". CNN. Retrieved on September 24, 2018. ; Hayes, Christal (February 17, 2018). "Emma Gonzalez survived the Florida shooting. Now she’s taking on Trump and the NRA". USA Today. Retrieved on September 24, 2018. ; Turkewitz, Julie; Stevens, Matt; Bailey, Jason M. (February 18, 2018). "Emma González Leads a Student Outcry on Guns: 'This Is the Way I Have to Grieve'". The New York Times. Retrieved on September 24, 2018. ; Witt, Emily (February 17, 2018). "Calling B.S. in Parkland, Florida". The New Yorker. Retrieved on September 24, 2018. ).

• Six minutes, and about 20 seconds. In a little over six minutes, 17 of our friends were taken from us, 15 more were injured, and everyone, absolutely everyone in the Douglas community was forever altered. Everyone who was there understands. Everyone who has been touched by the cold grip of gun violence understands. … Six minutes and 20 seconds with an AR-15, and my friend Carmen would never complain to me about piano practice. Aaron Feis would never call Kyra "miss sunshine," Alex Schachter would never walk into school with his brother Ryan, Scott Beigel would never joke around with Cameron at camp, Helena Ramsay would never hang around after school with Max, Gina Montalto would never wave to her friend Liam at lunch, Joaquin Oliver would never play basketball with Sam or Dylan. Alaina Petty would never, Cara Loughren would never, Chris Hixon would never, Luke Hoyer would never, Martin Duque Anguiano would never, Peter Wang would never, Alyssa Alhadeff would never, Jamie Guttenberg would never, Jamie Pollack would never …
  [long silence] …
  Since the time that I came out here, it has been six minutes and 20 seconds. The shooter has ceased shooting, and will soon abandon his rifle, blend in with the students as they escape, and walk free for an hour before arrest. Fight for your lives before it's someone else's job.
  • At March for Our Lives in Washington D. C. (24 March 2018) (Lucero II, Louis (March 24, 2018). "What Emma González Said Without Words at the March for Our Lives Rally". The New York Times. Retrieved on September 23, 2018. ; Reilly, Katie (March 24, 2018). "Emma González Kept America in Stunned Silence to Show How Quickly 17 People Died at Parkland". Time. Retrieved on September 23, 2018. ; Andone, Dakin (March 25, 2018). "Emma Gonzalez stood on stage for 6 minutes - the length of the Parkland gunman's shooting spree". CNN. Retrieved on September 23, 2018. ; Epstein, Kayla; Amenabar, Teddy (March 24, 2018). "The 6 most memorable speeches at the March for Our Lives in D.C.". The Washington Post. Retrieved on September 23, 2018. ).

• Going up against the country’s largest gun lobby organization was obviously something that needed to be done, but it means that the people we’re arguing against are the ones with the guns. I am personally deathly afraid of them, and I know, from traveling the country during the summer for the Road to Change tour, that many of the people who disagree with us mean it when they say that they only want to talk if we’re standing on the other end of their AR-15s.
  • González, Emma (5 October 2018). "A Young Activist’s Advice: Vote, Shave Your Head and Cry Whenever You Need To". The New York Times. Retrieved on October 5, 2018.