A database with records as far back as 1970 shows there were more incidents of gun violence and more deaths in 2018 than any other year on record, and yet, to our collective raised eyebrows — and amid a heckuva lot of other questionable material — Louis CK made headlines when he mocked the victims of the Parkland Shooting during a show in New York that was widely condemned.
While the remarks made were unfortunate, they led to an important response from one of the victims’ families survived by the Parkland Shooting. It is a response that isn’t comfortable, or fun, but it does raise an important point about the line between comedy and tragedy, a point so obvious it’s rather shocking it needs to be made but here it goes:
Being shot to death at school is not a joke.
That’s the message that Change The Ref (CTR), the organization that produced this gut-wrenching PSA which references the opening to Louis CK’s eponymous television show, wants to underscore.
Founded in the memory of Joaquin Oliver who was one of the 17 victims of the Parkland Shooting, CTR is a result of the efforts of Manuel and Patricia Oliver who are committed to making sure that their son’s life and the lives of the other 16 victims are never forgotten. Their mission is to bring about real change by empowering future leaders to ensure that tragedies like Parkland never happen again.
Being shot to death at school is not a joke. We need commonsense gun laws, and we need them now. Stand up against gun violence at ChangeTheRef.org #NotAJoke
About Change The Ref (CTR)
Change The Ref (CTR), was formed to empower our Future Leaders. CTR gives the kids of today the tools they need to be empowered to make changes to critical issues that affect our nation, through education, conversation, and activism. It uses urban art and nonviolent creative confrontation to expose the disastrous effects of the mass shooting pandemic. It also brings focus to the NRA’s corrupt maneuvers to buy lawmakers, while forcing solutions which are essential to healing mass shooting victims’ families’ lifelong grief. Change The Ref’s ultimate goal is to give the young generation of survivors and victims a disrupting voice to help lead the way to change – a more peaceful future. #NeverAgain.
The Loss of 17 lives on February 14th, 2018 at MSD High School in Parkland, Florida due to yet another mass shooting, caused a conversation to erupt in our country and around the world and a youth movement to be born. CTR is an organization created to fuel the youth of today, empowering them to lead the way and make impactful changes happen.
Founded in the memory of their son Joaquin who was one of the 17 victims, Manuel and Patricia Oliver are committed to making sure that their son’s life and the lives of the other 16 victims are never forgotten and that real change happens to prevent future tragedies like this from happening ever again.
The only way that will occur is if we have the ability engage the next generation and the generations after to get involved, fight for their values and beliefs and have their voices heard!
Our Mission
To empower our next generation so they can fight for their values, have their voices heard, and impact change for their future.
Source : https://www.funnyordie.com/2019/1/28/18201122/commonsense-gun-laws-parkland-shooting