Sharing Students' `March for Our Lives' Remarks

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, on May 9, I came to the Floor and spoke about the March For Our Lives on March 24 and the nine extraordinarily poised students in Morristown, New Jersey, who spoke at the rally there, which I attended. I include in the Record remarks by Mia Paone. I hope my colleagues will read them and internalize the sense of fear in which our nation's students are living every day--and our responsibility as Members of Congress to do something to address this crisis of gun violence. March for Our Lives' Remarks by Mia Paone

Hello marchers! My name is Mia Paone, and I am a sophomore at Chatham High School. I am not old enough to vote yet, but I am old enough to speak out against gun violence. I will not be silent.

I am taking a stand to change our gun laws, and I need all of you to join me. Silence is not neutrality. Silence will lead to more deaths from school shootings and other gun violence. I am here to speak for those silenced too soon.

For the young kids at Sandy Hook. For the concert goers in Las Vegas. For the students from Parkland, the same age as me. I don't want to live in a world where we have to find hiding spots and ways to block the door in our classrooms. In my school, a week after the Parkland Shooting, a power outage occurred. Many of my friends and other students feared the worst; that we were next, because these tragedies have sadly become too routine. Why have no laws been passed to make us safer? Why is it easier to get a gun than it is to get a driver's license? Too many of us are silent.

It is time for us to stand up. It is time for us to speak out. If we want a change in laws, we need to change our actions. Write letters to Members of Congress. Participate in school walkouts and . . . walk in marches! Run for Congress or local office. If you are too young to run, volunteer for a candidate who is running. Register 18-year-olds to vote, and encourage registered voters to show up on Election Day.

The youngest generation of eligible voters has the lowest voter turnout. We live in a democracy. Our senators and representatives should be responsive to our opinions. If they are not, it's our job to elect candidates who are. If they do not listen, vote them out!

Our generation's voter turnout must increase if we want leaders who will take action to reduce gun violence and gun deaths. And if you are like me, not yet old enough to vote but want to impact change, have faith. Just because we're in high school doesn't mean we can't make a difference.

Two weeks ago, on the day of the walkout, my history class was learning about the Civil Rights movements of the 1960's. Many of those events were organized by high school and college students. If they could do it, why can't we? It is our job as the upcoming generation of voters, leaders, and activists to make clear that when we believe something needs to be changed, we will not be silent.

We will not stand down. We will stand up, stand together, and we will not stop speaking out until our voices are heard.

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