Book Review: Parkland by Dave Cullen

Parkland by Dave Cullen tells the story of the group of students who galvanized the world by calling out their elders for years of inaction about mass shootings. On February 14, 2018 a shooter armed with automatic weapons walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and killed 17 individuals. Occurring a few months after the the Las Vegas mass shooting that took 59 lives and the Sutherland Springs church shooting in Texas where 27 were killed - mass shootings were the new normal. The ritualistic aftermath of wall to wall media coverage, perfunctory wishes of thoughts and prayers, and then just waiting for the next one. Gun control was a non-starter in the GOP controlled congress. 

The narrative changed when a band of High School students, none of them old enough to vote, declared ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH. Survivors of the Parkland shooting decided to revolt: Senior Emma Gonzalez called BS on the NRA and their puppet politicians. It was the start of a new movement. Cullen provides a fly on the wall account of how these kids took on the status quo.

Cullen paints a vibrant portrait of these kids as he walks us along on their journey. The book describes the culture of the High School, with over 3000 students and countless cliques. On the day of the shooting most of them spent hours in lockdown wondering if they would live. From day one they proved adept at handling all media, wielding social media like a samurai knife. 

Media sensations less than 12 hours after the shooting, a flurry of criticism also came their way. Conspiracy theorists claimed one of the leaders Davd Hogg was a "crisis actor" for the deep state, followed by more far out nonsense from the fringe right. Harassment by online trolls were an everyday occurrence for them, with encouragement from Fox News and the NRA. 

The kids decided to not align themselves with any political party, nor endorse any candidates. Being mostly privileged white kids, it was not lost on them that fact alone accounted for the media attention. Youth movements by African-American kids in Chicago were mostly ignored. So they outreached to Chicago and other cities plagued by gun violence, places not on white America's radar. The March For Our Lives on March 24, 2018 brought students and adults from all walks of life together.

Cullen also writes about the PTSD survivors were going through and social pressures they faced. There was jealousy and hard feelings as they took on responsibilities most adults shy away from. Over the summer of 2018 the kids embarked on a bus tour of the country, intentionally driving through Red States to engage with those who disagreed with their message for more gun control (not a repeal of the 2nd Amendment). The goal is for smart gun control. They understood their mastery of social media could only go so far, there was no substitute for face to face contact.

Cullen also wrote the definitive book on the Columbine shooting and confessed his growing apathy on gun violence in America as no hope appeared on the horizon. He ends the book citing Bruce Springsteen reflecting on how the March For Our Lives renewed his faith in America in the grim trump era, it was "a necessary day . . . to remind Americans what they stood for." Parkland tells of a generation's awakening - highly recommended.