#3 School Shootings, Human Trafficking, and More w/ Rhonda Hart

Youth Saving Democracy

While the young people in America are leading the fight to end gun violence, they obviously have not been alone. The parents of children lost to gun violence have also been at the forefront. One such parent is Rhonda Hart. Rhonda’s daughter Kimberly was one of the 10 victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting in Santa Fe, Texas last May. Since then, she has been an active member of the gun violence prevention advocacy group Moms Demand Action and has just recently announced she is running for her local school board. Rhonda was incredibly gracious to join us to discuss Kimberly, her activism and how she keeps going despite all the pain, her recent trip to Washington, DC, Texas politics, and why young activists make her extremely hopeful.

1. Rhonda, what made Kimberly so unique and special?

2. After the unfathomable tragedy you endured, how long did it take you to turn all of that grief and heartache into action? How does your activism help with this pain that will never go away?

3. As you know, our country is arguably living through its most polarized era since the Civil War. However, the issue of gun control might not be as polarizing as it once was. Just how great is the potential for this particular issue to be a force in bridging these historic divides?

4. Just a few weeks ago, you were in Washington, DC as the guest of Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher for the State of the Union. You also got to meet some of the other Parents of the Movement (as I like to call it), most notably Fred Guttenberg and Manny Oliver. What was it like meeting them and did meeting them give you an extra jolt of strength and inspiration as this fight to end gun violence enters a new phase?

-Now it’s time for our Weekly Community Bulletin Board. In light of the House passing HR8, it is time to vigorously lobby the United States Senate to pass S42, the Senate version of the same bill that will require universal background checks on ALL gun purchases. March For Our Lives is sponsoring a national Letter Writing Campaign to help all of us make our voices heard in favor of this landmark legislation. If you want to help in this campaign, write a handwritten postcard to a specific U.S. Senator telling them why they should support S42 and mail it to the following address:

March For Our Lives GW

800 21st Street, NW Suite 505

Washington, DC 20052

All letters must be sent by March 18!!!!

If your organization (whether it be a local MFOL chapter, a local Sunrise Movement chapter, etc) wants something to be featured on next week’s Community Bulletin Board, don’t hesitate to contact us on Twitter @dkromelow17 or on Instagram @youthsavingdemocracy

5. What were some of the other major highlights of your recent trip to Washington, DC?

6. One of our major goals here at Youth Saving Democracy is to support young people running for office. Just this past weekend, you spoke at the kickoff event for Marcel McClinton’s campaign for Houston City Council. What makes Marcel such an incredible young man and why should anybody anywhere in America support his campaign?

7. Through your activism, you also got to meet another incredible human being named Beto O’Rourke. What is Beto like as a person and if he decides to run for president, what will he bring to the table that none of the other Democratic candidates can?

8. Who are some other candidates on the 2020 ballot in Texas that people anywhere in America should consider supporting?

9. How hopeful do all these incredible young activists make you?

Thank you Rhonda, and that’s it for this week but we plan to be back with another great discussion next week, so stay tuned. For further updates on the development of this podcast, and we’re just getting warmed up, please follow me on Twitter @dkromelow17 and on Instagram @youthsavingdemocracy.