One year after the tragic shooting in Parkland Kyle Kashuv is only working harder.
It was at last year’s convention when the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was a primary subject of discussion. I recall one dinner when speaking with Sarah Rumpf that we began to address some of the issues in Broward County that may have contributed to the event playing out as in the manner that it had been permitted.
As the story unfolded over the course of many months many of those local issues we tabled had been proven to be major issues. Broward County Sheriff Scott Ireland had been a frequent target of concern, and has been recently replaced by new governor Ron DeSantis.The school board has been shown to be a very cloistered and a recently called for grand jury to investigate their actions is ensuing.
Now one year later we have been both inundated, and overwhelmed by the students from Parkland, led by David Hogg spearheading anti gun movements. One student, Kyle Kushav, has been both notable in opposition to most of the activists, but in support of our nation’s guns rights. Kyle sat in on a panel called Disarming The Left’s Hypocrisy: The Fatal Disadvantage of “Gun Control”, aa notable appearance centered around the one year anniversary of the shooting.
If you are aat all familiar with Kushav this past year he has a very sober grasp of the issues, and this was on display during the panel. He was very vocal in support of fellow panelist Rep. Richard Hudson announced legislation to provide more funding for emotional health issues. When asked about solutions Kashuv turned his focus on those items we had discussed last year.
Rather than focusing on gun rights Kushav turned his attention on another target. “Every single level of government KNEW this was going to happen, and they did absolutely – nothing.” This has become the thrust of the Parkland student’s energies in recent months. I spoke directly with Kyle later to discuss where his aims are currently being directed.
“I’m not even focused on gun rights, or gun control,” he said as I asked what his current priorities are. “That was not the problem. There was so many things that could have been done to stop this, and those local leaders who failed are the ones who should get removed.” He told me his work these days is more on the local level, working with Andrew Pollack, who lost his daughter Meadow in that day’s attack.
I mentioned that he worked with Gov. DeSantis and what he thought of the moves made to this point. “It was so good, and so needed. The fact that he called that grand jury was huge!” We mentioned the various legislation moves that happened, and what he thought of the call for toughening the schools themselves to make them safer. “That’s Andrew Pollack — that’s exactly where the focus should be, and he is all over that. He’s amazing, having lost his daughter, and able to do all that he’s accomplished.”
Kushav is now working with Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk’s conservative student group. But his national positions are seemingly taking less of his energies as much as working on the local level to fix those issues that have been exposed, and to make the schools safer. “We’re just fighting every single day to make sure no other families have to go through this.”
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