March for Our Lives activist Emma Gonzalez says some of the most pressing issues in the current gun control discussion are misconceptions about what gun regulators actually want.
“We try our very darndest to get out the fact that we don’t want to take away guns and that we are pro second amendment,” Gonzalez tells Variety. “We’re not trying to take guns out of society, we’re trying to regulate them.”
After surviving the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School earlier this year, Gonzalez rose to national fame after delivering a powerful speech at a March for Our Lives rally in May. Since then, she has continued to fight for gun regulation on a national level while combating misinformation about what that means.
“If you’re already a responsible gun owner, then this has nothing to do with you,” Gonzalez says. “We’re talking about the people that are irresponsible, the people who take advantage of the fact that the system is not very strict.”
Gonzalez also spoke about Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ visit to her high school following the shooting, which she says broke up a student therapy session. DeVos’ plans to bring more guns into classrooms are misguided, she adds; schools should be getting more funding to pay teachers, not to arm them.
