“Three years ago, your lives and the lives of this community changed in an instant. And this class lost a piece of its soul. You’ve been tested in ways no young person should ever have to face,” Biden said in remarks taped in the East Room.
The President said: “From a freshman year, a year of unspeakable loss, to a junior and senior year upended by a pandemic. But the story of this class and the Parkland community isn’t just a story of pain. It’s a story of resilience. Turning pain into purpose. Darkness to light. This is a legacy you’re building. The legacy you’ll continue to build.”
“No graduation class gets to choose the world in which they graduate,” Biden said. “But every once in a while, every few generations, young people come along at a point in history with a chance to make real change. The world has already seen just how capable you are. How strong you are. How resilient you are. There’s no question you’re already changing the world.”
On February 14, 2018, a 19-year-old gunman walked into that Parkland high school and opened fire, killing 17 students and faculty members.
Many of the students have since become outspoken activists against gun violence, calling on lawmakers to bring about change and starting a global movement with March For Our Lives, a student-led movement focused on gun violence prevention.
Since taking office, Biden has called gun violence in America a “national embarrassment,” an “epidemic” and said it “pierces the very soul of our nation.” The President has taken initial steps and executive actions to curb gun violence and has called on the Senate to pass legislation strengthening background checks that already passed the House and to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Following a spate of mass shootings across the nation, Biden unveiled several executive actions his administration would be taking on guns, including efforts to tighten restrictions on so-called ghost guns that can be built using parts and instructions purchased online. The actions were limited in scope and Biden said they are only initial steps to address gun violence.
The recent mass shootings has led to increased calls for gun control measures, but gun legislation passing the Senate — where Democrats have a narrow majority — remains an uphill battle.