we expect millions more to march in more than 800 cities across the world today. some in europe and other countries have already begun, and have taken place there, we are waiting for the one here to begin as we continue with your calls. we have a 17-year-old calling from dallas. what you think about the protested a? caller: about the protested it, i think it is time we take action on gun control. i am so proud to be a part of the generation who is. so while the second amendment gives the american people their right to bear arms, it was written and instituted in 1791. now, it took me a little bit to figure this out, the guns much different from now and then. so, i think with these new semiautomatic and automatic guns we have no we need to take

action. host: what action would you like to see? you are talking about these larger capacity, higher-powered guns. do you think that lawmakers should focus on that, or are there other measures you would like to see changed? are three things that should be happening with the march for our lives. the first thing is passing laws that bans the sale of assault .eapons start braving the sale of high-capacity magazines, especially to the general public, and third, close the loophole in our background check laws. emma, what you say about the culture? your 17 years old.

do you think people your age think about guns differently then perhaps your parents or grandparents do? do you see the thought about don's changing? i definitelyaller: see the thoughts changing. my grandparents are very southern. they own doesn't have goes throughout the house. but with my parents and me, it begins to change. we do not have any guns because on themts' ideals changed. i see it changing throughout my school. people are learning more about guns, but they are also becoming fearful of what could happen if anyone with such a high-capacity -- we appreciate your call. cameron is calling in from florida. cameron, what you think about today's protests? caller: really, i think it is a great thing.

all these people coming together . what i want to say here is, like , it is the second amendment itself. everybody is saying, oh, we have to bear arms. the second amendment in tales of militia. here are being necessary for the safety of a free state. how is it secure if kids are getting killed by guns in schools and whatnot? it has to be necessary for security. this amendment was created ages ago. it has not kept up with the times. people are misusing guns in the situations where they should not be. i don't see the importance of

having a gun to ensure the security -- host: cameron, you are in florida. the parkland shooting took place. it is also where the president is now, at mar-a-lago estate, where he frequently spends weekends. the main message of this protest, and what you think the president should take from it? caller: i think the main message is to basically say, hey, we are guns and we need ,o do something to remedy it and with the president being in florida, i think it makes somewhat of an impact saying, hey, i'm here, like we are trying, but also, why aren't you in washington, d.c. addressing them march itself in person?

it is worrying me, i guess. look at the national shooting sports association -- what they said with an interview with the axios co-founder. clip] . and othernt the david students have made is we are children. you are the adults. don't they have a point? >> we completely agree. i'm sure their feelings are sincere, just like people who support the second amendment have strongly believes. we need to find common ground. us --is more that unites >> much further on your side than on their side.

>> i think -- i do not think that is true. common ground is where we should agree. we should build on that and have a respectful dialogue and build to find effective solutions. there's no point in doing the sake ofst for doing something if it's not going to help solve the problem. from --cy is going calling from miami. one of our viewers who is 25 and under. good morning. caller: good morning. host: are you participating in the protest today? bus.r: i'm actually on a we are going to d.c. we will be marching up there. host: what is bringing you to d.c., macy? lawmakers and the public, what do you want the message to them to be today?

caller: i want the message to be we are here. we are allowed. this is a conversation where not putting off any longer. if you will not do it, we will do it ourselves. there was a comment made in the clip just played -- the man are the, the adults adults are michel temer children of the children, but the children -- the adults have not been doing the job. has come tot it this, but the fact that the youth is putting in such initiative and putting in so much effort to make change, i think that's incredible and i am proud to be part of it. host: macy, do you feel safe in your school? do you think your school leaders are doing enough for you are? inler: i come from a school miami. i am main senior there. i feel protected.

the actual structure of my school is unorthodox. we don't have doors. i fear that in in unfortunate situation, it would definitely be something where the casualties, the number of people injured, that would die would be larger because of that factor. it is definitely something that worries me. i have a younger sister who goes to school with me. that is on my mind. it is scary to think i am powerless. host: macy, what to say to people who say the answer is having teachers and resource officers who are armed to respond if a shooter comes in? caller: they are human beings like we are.

not to justify what he did, but demon face their own spirit teachers and school resource officers have to deal with their own personal problems and they have the heavy load of students and individuals day after day, so i do not think putting a gun in their hands would be a benefit. we need to arm them with knowledge, compassion, with love, but definitely not with guns. springfield,ht, alsochusetts, etta -- under 25. are you protesting today? theer: yes, i am protesting teachers unions. people complaining about the nra do not understand that we have a public education system that is complete in dr. nation. you are more likely -- complete indoctrination. you're more likely to be struck by lightning than shot in a public school.

host: what do you think about students we have for today who feel like their lives are at stake? i am a never trump republican. i did not both for him. but this is nothing to do with gun control. what it is about is a left-wing agenda. .hey are mad that trump won you know -- this is an anti-trump protest. it's nothing to do with gun safety. --t: that is what i asked why i out specifically about the students we have heard about today who say they are afraid and that is why they are here? caller: they are more likely to be struck by lightning. do they have a protest against lightning? they are left-wingers who were brainwashed. when they grow up and get a job, they will probably grow out of

this nonsense. host: ok. diane from new jersey. good morning. caller: good morning. i am calling about the meat of the real problem, that has not been mentioned much , and that is the parents, ok? don't have time to pay attention to the children and find out who the children are, and they are doing everything else but raising their children, -- the with that government, the schools, the law enforcement -- they are going to finally find out in marching, they will finally find out it is

right in their house, the parents, ok? because every parent is responsible for their children. they have a divine responsibility. ok? and this is where the problem lies at the beginning. so, people don't want to listen, they never listen. not that i know everything. it's just that i watch and i see , and it's just -- you know -- you know, are you going to see the parents stand up today? host: cnn reports there has been one mass school shooting -- on average one school shooting every week this year in 2018 alone. a map where the

school shootings have taken place in the united states, talking about the high rate of student shootings -- school shootings we have seen in recent months, just this year alone. we are talking to you about that, school safety. again, if you are under 25, we would love to hear about you. are you marching? are you not? do you feel safe in your schools? we can -- can call -- we want to hear from you, too. philip is on the line from winston, north carolina. hello, philip. what you think about the protests today? my hat off to these kids because they are doing what our lawmakers will not do.

them talk about these kids and what they are doing, but let's not leave it up to the kids. you, too, have a responsibility to attack this issue as well, and i just think, people are not trying to take away the second amendment to bear arms, but we need to stop these gun lobbies means guys from coming into our towns and selling these guns. they do not do background checks . make thethere to money. to put price it -- -- to put profit over life, that is a terrible thing. both those people out -- vote those people out. the nra has that power to -- you know, congress is not doing anything.

they support the nra as well. all right, axios reports that we hundred 22 people have been killed in school shootings since columbine in 1999. it goes on to list the number of school shootings that have taken place where four people or more have died. you have as many as 33, which was at virginia tech university in 2007. pointshington post" out that 87,000 students have been exposed to gun violence and have seen some way, it or it has impacted them personally. that is behind the large number of people planning to show up in for the marchc.

for our lives. holland is calling from ohio. hi, holland. caller: hi. make. a statement to the liberals already -- they took everything that would help our children be good citizens. they took prayer and god from them. now they have satan crawling the halls in the schools. sex and disrespect forthemselves -- it is sad themselves and each other and their teachers and they have right toeen given the destroy life with the pill and the abortion, and i just feel sorry for america. think the teachers

should be armed and i think the kids should be back in school , not marching around trying to find more trouble. they are just going to get into more trouble. there's going to more -- there's going to be more violence, more shootings. now i have read an article saying that they will be given a bucket of rocks. let's be sane around here. host: all right, we have marvin. caller: i am amazed at the amount of adult colors and the program. are we listening to the kids? the kids on your network today are so articulate and they are speaking with common sense. adults have switched places with our kids. you have one dollar calling in from massachusetts accusing these kids of having a leftist agenda. these kids are fighting for their lives.

and they are mad that they have to go to work every day and be put in the position where they do not know if they will be shot or killed. it's amazing. it's like the adults have flipped the script. they have switched places with these kids. i am so proud of these kids and our youth today and i hope they make the change. that is all i have to say. host: after the parkland shooting, senators marco rubio and bill nelson introduced legislation. let's see what senator rubio said about that bill. [video clip] have a lot of memories about what it was like to be in the first grade. but i do know this. my six-year-old granddaughter

of what happened after parkland, florida. she told me about it. the teacher told the first graders in her school that if there is a shooter, stay away from the windows and get down on the floor. is there any sane person in america who believes that is what the founding fathers and had in mind with the second amendment? that is why we are here today. that is what the students from parkland have inspired people the united states of america, to stand up, to say to -- and enough. i just have to say and i put it in the straightest terms that i lives in parkland, florida are worth more than the week response from this committee and the president [applause] .

durbin: idle when 97% of americans believe we should have background checks, we have a listen. when overwhelmingly, americans say we've got to get rid of assault weapons and weh-capacity magazine clips, ought to listen. when they tell us the sale of and others toles, people under the age of 21 is dangerous, we ought to listen. ,nstead, what we have, sadly our weak responses all around. and why? in a lucid moment a couple weeks ago the president identified it. are petrified by the national rifle association. [applause] sen. durbin: the question we is whether we are petrified

by them? i'm not. i don't get their money, i don't get their support, and i don't care to have it. a lot of lawmakers of come to me privately and said we got to do something. members of the nra. host: that was senator dick , democrat from illinois speaking at the senate judiciary committee hearing and we are talking to you about the march for our lives taking place here in washington, d.c. as we watch the crowd gathered for that 12:00 p.m. march. they are taking place in other cities around the country and around the world. mike is calling from rochester, michigan. hi, mike. hi, kimberly. how are you? host: what do you think about these marches? a wastei think they're

of time. i have a suggestion for the young people. a young fellow from florida start a program called no one eats alone and i think that thed affect more change if kids in school became more inclusive with the other kids in there's a common denominator. all of these shooters are loners and outcasts. in i just think that would probably do a lot more than this march. that's all i'm saying. all right, and michael is calling from cincinnati. you are under 25, michael. what do you think about the protest? are you per dissipating? caller: i am participating. have alike we need to little bit of education, such as how they do this in france.

also, they have a lot more recess and such, and may have overall better schools. host: and how do you think so, -- and so, how do you think that would make a difference with gun violence specifically, michael? caller: i think it would make the kids grow to love each other a lot more. right now, people just go to our lunch room and sit at these long tables, do not talk that much. when i saw michael moore's film -- he showed the school lunches in france. they overall had a nice community. host: ok, a little more from

proposal outbout a of your, pennsylvania that one of our viewers mentioned. , should schools aren't teachers against school shooters? one pennsylvania district has another solution. how about arming students with rocks? the superintendent of the blue mountain school district in huykill county, testified earlier this month arming students with rocks as part of the district's strategy to protect them against the threat of violence. said we always strive to find new ways to keep our students safe. he added the rocks are one part of the school security plan. kathleen on the line from los angeles. good morning.

kathleen.t that, i missed the button. thanks for calling. caller: that's all right. thanks for having me on this morning. good morning. i'm listening to the narrative and is fascinating to me how most people -- not most people. i would say certain people, a majority of people particularly in the media embrace the democrat narrative, gun control, but they don't think about the fact that we have broken families. the father has been taken out of the home. i think more than 70% of the school shooters didn't have a father and the home. we have fatherless homes. and you know, democrats destroy the family with this free sex head in his am starting in the 1970's. they can't look in the mirror and say, well, the fathers are not in the home anymore, and the young men have misplaced

feelings and inappropriate violence. they do not know when violence is necessary and when it is not. one of the colors talked about not getting at the root of the problem -- the fathers are not in the home. during jim crow, blacks had 87% two-parent families. now we have 25% two-parent families. in asre fathers are not many white homes either. like i said, most of the school shooters, i think it was 70%, did not have fathers in the home. democrats have destroyed black america. there is an article in "the washington post." there has been no progress for black america in the last 50 years. that article was in "the washington post," and valerie wilson was on your program discussing it, and yet you have callers -- luck americans, who

still accept the democrat -- black americans, who still except the democratic narrative and agenda. host: all right, more from mtr politics. they have a piece that says despite the heightened fear of school shootings, it is an epidemic that is not growing. the parkland shooting has energized students and contributed to the impression that school shootings are a growing epidemic in america. in truth, they are not. schools are safer than in previous decades says james alan fox, a professor of criminology at northeastern university who has studied the phenomenon of mass murder since the 1980's. he says while multiple victim shootings in general are on the rise, that is not the case is schools. there's an average of one per year in a country with more than 100,000 schools. schoolrall number of

shooting victims is down according to foxpro numbers -- .5 students per million were is 2014-15lled, and that rick was closer to point 15 per million. one of our viewers who is 25 and younger. are you protesting today? currentlys, in, i am driving up to washington, d.c. to protest. what brings you to washington, d.c.? theer: personally it is fact that this is an issue where there are solutions to this. there are things that can be done so people do not have straight up military style that can and so many

futures within a single month and so may times within a year and put students like me at risk. host: what do you want lawmakers today, today -- to hear olga? caller: that we do care. people are coming out here on a weekend, all of this stuff, in the morning -- because they care about this. they recognize this is an issue that can be fixed. it.n has done step about it is a prime example. many other countries have carried out initiatives.

gain keep the away from -- they can keep them away from people. and i what these lawmakers to realize that, yes, we do care. we do care. , all ofhe students these adults, all of these becausere coming out there is an issue. they want lawmakers to carry out the solution. they do not want people becausee solution that is not being fixed. we are joined now by phone by one of the organizers of the march for our lives in jonesboro , high school students, celeste

robinette from arkansas. guest: thank you for having me. host: you are organizing the march for our lives they are in arkansas. tell us what led you to want to lead this march. activismt only the that is taking place after the shooting in parkland, florida as evidence like i'm a gonzalez -- emma gonzalez have stepped up to fight the gun violence. tot is a huge inspiration me. here in jonesboro, we had a mass shooting 20 years ago and our community has never healed. that has been a large factor in organizing this march for -- march for -- march. host: the washington post says that thousands march in

washington, a small group will meet in the small town of john's esboro after a teacher and students were killed after a student pulled a fire alarm and then shot their classmates as they streamed out of the building. to say, somes on people are not joining the march but are participating in a quieter memorial ceremony, yet, you are taking a different approach of taking to the streets. say about the difference there and how people are memorializing this anniversary? guest: in my opinion, it is remember the victims who have lost their lives. we would not be marching if it were not for them. that is really important, and i am glad that we have survivors

who are meeting at the memorial garden that they have created, but i also think it is important to take action, to prevent future tragedies. olga, i want to get your thoughts on some of the people who have called expressing concerns that this is really aimed at gun rights. although people want their students to be safe in schools, they also want to protect our constitutional rights to bear arms. what do you say? guest: i want to let everyone know that this movement is much theed, we need to combat gun violence in our country. shooting, there have been far too many and we are far behind in our gun laws. but this movement, to me and to

i do not think it is against the second amendment and that is not anti-gun. we need stricter gun laws. compared to other countries, we are far behind and we do not reform thate of gun we are needing. i believe, reason, that we are experiencing the type of pain that comes from these incidents. we do not have the type of gun laws that we need. i do not want -- a lot of people are saying that this is too political and not focused on the victims. it is political, but we are doing it because of the victims and for them to prevent other people from having to go through

the pain. it has been 20 years in our community has not gotten over this. the pain does not go away. to anyone who is saying that this is completely against the second amendment, they are wrong. host: you are 17 years old. a senior at jonesboro high school, do you feel safe in your , do you or your classmates talk about safety and do they feel safe, too? are you there, i am sorry, celeste, my deep apologies for it. do you feel safe at the school or dear friends feel safe? guest: to be honest, we have had where the our school police have been involved in we have had parents calling up to

the school concerned that they need to, get their students because they are scared that these threats are serious and something is going to happen again. incidentswe have had in our class. there was a huge bank outside and everyone started to get under the tables because we did not know what the noise was. we were scared that it was a shooter in our school. no, i do not feel safe. that has nothing to do with our administration, they are doing everything they can. it is a larger problem. do not think any schools are as safe as they need to be. everyone needs to remember that it can happen anywhere. on everywhere,

that is why we need this change. to the viewers who have called in who have said, they believe that this is being funded, perpetuated by people wi .h a partisan bend that this is being perpetuated by people who have an agenda. what do you say to them? guest: i've experienced this in my own community. , we have hadr me this tragedy that has taken place and there are still people deny that there needs to be changed. we have experienced this first hand and are still people who think there is not something wrong and that this can not be prevented. to prepare for yourself for an event is not the route that we

need to be taken. instead of preparing, we need to be preventing. prevention will work a lot better than preparing ourselves because truly, you cannot prepare yourself for an event like this. it is not funded by anyone, it is something that the students -- many students are aware of what is going on and are politically active. people are saying that i do not becauseoice and that i'm only 17 -- it does not make sense. in 5n 18 and -- days. havel be voting and i informed myself on these issues, i would know what is going on. i am studying and learning every day current gun laws. that are the callers saying that i am not in forms,

my fellow students are informed, we are informing ourselves every day as this happens, and we are going to continue to fight for change. fromurse, we have support a wide variety of people but just because we have support for more left people or more than one side, that does not mean -- it should not be a controversial issue. the political side should be. andthis is a moral issue our country and we need to come together on both sides. , at: celeste robinette 17-year-old senior almost 18 from jonesboro high school in arkansas and also the organizer of the jonesboro march of our lives. thank you for joining us today. guest: thank you. host: we are talking to viewers about the march of our lives in

washington. people gather for that event which is expected to begin at 12 noon. we will have students from the parkland high school which experienced the horrific attack last month as well as other supporters. draw expected to dro -- celebrities, area on a grundy, jennifer hudson, miley cyrus, grandei lovato -- ariana , jennifer hudson, miley cyrus, and demi lovato. a young person from kensington , maryland. are you marching today? caller: i am marching today. host: what brings you out? caller: i personally believe

going out to march today to show lawmakers that we do -- i do care about these issues. there is a way to fix this. other countries have shown ways and taken action to stop the shootings. there are ways we can take action to stop the shootings and they get harder for criminals to do this and also make it harder for criminals. to stop criminals ahead of time. that action needs to be done. it is time to stop dodging and actually take action to carry through with all of this so that we do not have s of people dying

or people being at risk. host: are you still at school and do you feel safe in your school? caller: i am in school. heard any shooting threats or anything. i do not really see any events like the recent maryland shooting in the nearby high school made me haveze that this could the potential to occur, and while it is not on my mind often, i do hear other students receiving threats and going to their school and cops are there. there's a spread the word about what to do in a school shooting, and our school had to do lockdowns as well.

we are essentially an estate that students should not be in print students and i have to go to school and see cop cars for the risk of us shooting or take time out of the school day to practice a lockdown drill. host: we appreciate your call. another young person, ralph is calling from dallas. are you participating in protests today? i am.: yes, and i'm not from dallas, monroe, louisiana. host: that is a strong culture where people grow up with guns. what makes you want to join in on a protest? here,: everyone around almost everyone around here has grown up with guns.

i grew up with guns and shot plenty of guns. that does not make it right to have guns. i've shot these guns, but i know gun safety and all of that. a lot of people do not. we should not be selling guns to those kinds of people. helped gun laws that can we arethis problem having an america where people are going to school and not coming home. we need to have laws with mental ,ealth and waiting periods background checks, all this kinds of stuff, and because i am a southern state, that feel- does not make

unsafe. everyone has guns but that means anyone can commit a school shooting. it makes me feel a little on ads. that you haveool attended, have you felt safe. honestly, i really have not felt unsafe. point, in fourth grade, there was a bomb threat. i did go outside. to go outside. nothing to do with guns. we do not have a set plan on what to do in the event of a school shooting, and i feel like a fish in a barrel. i should not feel like that when i should be thinking about my next test or project.

host: the washington post today reports on some measures that taken place at parkland school where last month's shooting occurred and some pushback. several students at marjory stoneman douglas high are returned after spring break and they will be required to carry their belongings and clear, plastic backpacks and they want to wear identification badges at all times on campus. it is outlined by broward county in al superintendent letter sent wednesday to students and parents. while security updates have been among the demands of the students of the school, the requirements for clear backpacks that not sit well. the school district said it would provide backpacks to the students free of charge, but , a security consultant and retired secret service said

clear backpacks are not a bad security measure but they do not address the bigger problem of attackers who are mentally ill. richard is calling from florida. hi, richard. caller: good morning. i could not agree more with the youngsters, especially celeste. i could not disagree more from the fellow from massachusetts and one from california. this is not a political issue, this is of any quality -- of inequality. it has gotten so bad that families have split up, drugs are problem, guns are problem, yet to realize the reality that the republican party is in charge in the united states right now. they are in charge of the federal caucuses, the predominantly norm a federal offices, most of the states, legislature, and they are in

charge of most local governments. my input is that these young folks need to do like they are saying they are going to do it educate themselves the best they can. of this started back in the 1980's when a reagan -- reagan came in and cut taxes on the super wealthy and corporations. trump did it again this year. that will only create more inequality. it is the underlying issue that causes all of these problems. i would like your comment before you hang up on me because i what youe to hear think about my opinion for it -- opinion. our: we're listening to viewers, including young people those that are marching today about today's march for our liv es. let's take a look at what andida senators marco rubio bill nelson said about a proposal they have to encourage violence adopted gun

restraining orders. [video clip] rubio: every constitutional right we have could potentially be infringed upon. with a subpoena or a search warrant, they can do your record . that is why do process at the front end is important. there has to be a standard that has to be met. this clearly creates the ability or incentivizes states to do so. end, circumstances and -- taking on a constitutional rights of people. that is why we have subpoenas for documents, that is why we have the ability to conduct search warrants, so the standard for this is not any less or what it -- for what it would be

for other rights. the burden is on those who are applying, not on the respondent. the subject of this does not have to prove anything, it is the other side. a number of myre colleagues that have expressed openness to it. we have been in consultation and hopefully, we will get another senator on board. we have worked to the judiciary committee to find language and we have to have 60 votes or more to get this passed. all we are doing is creating an incentive for states to act. ont: we had just -- jessa the line from maryland. are you joining protests today? caller: hi, yes, i am. i am so proud to stand up for

what we believe in. host: what do you believe in? now, we can finally focus on the problem and what is going on with gun violence. it has been looked over too many times. people keep saying that the time is not right. we are not going to get anywhere and we really need to make change now. host: what change would you like that focus on? we heard a lot of proposals, one from senator rubio talking about restraining orders to keep people who may be dangerous being able to obtain a gun while they are evaluated. there are measures about increasing security and schools. which ones do you think will be effective? caller: those are good ideas. but i think we need to focus on gun control a lot. a lot of people are scared we are going to take away their guns.

i do not think that is the answer. more.d to control it the restraining order idea, that is good. what walmart did, taking guns dick'som the store, and sporting goods, that was good because making guns harder to process tomore of a get them to make sure that only people who actually intend to use them for self-defense purposes can get them. host: what do you think about roposal to have armed people in schools, school resource officers or school security who are armed in the event of a shooting -- would that make you feel safer in your school? caller: i'm trying to say it nicely. when he put it this way, i think that would make schools so much more unsafe.

exactly what we do not want to do. i have many choice words for the idea. i cannot say them. just an, there have been so many accounts of teachers with guns accidentally shooting their students or themselves. there was one teacher who ended up locking himself in a classroom and then there was another teacher trying to teach their students self defense with a gun and a shot them by accident. there have been so many instances of this and i do not understand why people think that would be a great idea. staff isot of not qualified for teaching and they do not get paid enough so i would really not trust them with a gun. we all have bad teachers and giving them weapons is out of the question. host: the washington post and

its analysis of school violence students, itt on found that gun violence has occurred in at least 68 schools that employed a police officer and a security guard. endedt a few, the few before law enforcement of any kind interceded. prolonged attacks of course, can even be more fraught. nearly 200 post identified incidents of gunfire, only once before this week has a resource officer gunned down an active shooter. in 2001, an 18-year-old with a 12 gauge pump action shotgun was firing at the outset of a california high school when the resource officer rounded the corner and shot him. whether that happens again tuesday, at great mills high where school resource

shooter,onfronted the is left -- remains unclear. larry calling from california, hi, larry. caller: goodmorning. the message that kids have is not specific. you have got to vote the republicans out of office. marco rubio, he takes money out of the nra. the young girl that called, chelsea, let me telt -- teach you this. kkk run gop. florida did not want to get rid of the ar-15, and so it is up to the kids, tell your parents. we need republicans out of

office. another thing i have never heard? noe never heard police say more guns. i do not know what is going on except for the kkk and nra run the gop. until we take every republican fall.he democrats will they will stop taking money from the nra. host: alright. we have angela calling in from maryland. you are also a young person for it are you attending the protest? caller: no, ma'am. host: and why not? caller: i live in poverty -- havre de grace and i do not have a ride. but a stop guns coming up to stop guns from the gangs, too. nobody mentions gangs that have

guns. little kids can get guns from the gangs. host: do you think there is room to talk about other kinds of gun violence. e have heard them say that is the intention they have. caller: no, i do not. my buddy was shot by a gang kid. host: what do you think should be done to stop at? caller: anybody can go out and get a gun. i can go out and get a gun, it israel simple. real simple. is to stop it, the only person i can stop a gun, it has to go in a household from a parent. control ofs to be in the kids, not a kid in control of the parent.

any kid can get a gun. host: donna is calling from ohio. what do think about the protests that are happening? caller: i think it is great. you,is not me vs. republican versus democrat issue. obviously, it is true that in all times, there have been problems, there have been but in order to solve something, you have to get a specific issue and focus. this is a moral thing. mass shootings. this is going to be successful because you have articulate, affluent, white and black's getting together who are going to vote. that is where it counts. paignsd political cam

where republicans were supposed to win by and large, but because the person was immoral, they did not win the election. this is going to be successful because it is being done by the people who are going to be voting. the money and politics will not matter. host: joining us now by phone is ry, he is the cofounder and director of million hoodies. thank you for joining us. guest: thank you for having me. ist: tell our viewers what million hoodies. how did he get started? guest: we got started in 2012. right after the death of trayvon martin. because of the mainstream media coverage of his that.

six years ago, this week, our anniversary is this week. global supportd for the arrest of george zimmerman by igniting marches around the country and today, we organicon from being an blueprint -- we are working on the intersection of mass mobilization. we are around community organizing and transfers of a leadership development. of new leadersg at the core of our work. host: you wrote in the huffington post that you believe that any march for our lives must include kids like trayvon martin. what do you mean by that? what message do you want to

organizers of today's events around the world to include to address your concerns? caller: absolutely. first and foremost, and i've said this repeatedly, we are so excited and energized by these young people taking action today from parkland and all over the country. the core of that, we all understand that no matter how you are identifying, what it means to feel unsafe. we for generations, there has been communities that have been asking, what about us? able to expand. the relationship, it does not

look at police and deportation -- so we actually built a social space and that. we actually think about the systemic issues connected to poverty that a lot of communities of color suffer through. joblessness, homelessness, poor transportation, no health care -- how do you begin to expand including all of those things that we imagine that keeps us safe? host: i've been reading a lot of post-analysis on school gun violence that was printed in the washington post. been00 students have exposed to school gun violence in some way. who haveude people been exposed to violence other

than the mass shootings that we have heard. it goes on to say the post ana 62.6% of thehat students exposed to gun violence at schools 1999 were children of color, about two thirds. almost all of those shootings were targeted or accidental rather than indiscriminate. often, we have this notion that they are used to it. that is bs, that is steven berkowitz, they are not used to it and he goes on to talk about the emotional trauma they suffered. oft issue, the majority students who have witnessed or been impacted by gun violence, it is people of color often, not mass shooting, often things that .re more episodic how the lawmakers who are listening to the students help that are almost two

thirds that we are talking about? caller: absolutely. that is a really interesting number. i'm really glad that you brought that up. trauma, ilk about want to bring up two things. always some question about whose movement do we value or support more. who havea of folks been experiencing mass shootings is something we need to talk about but we also need to talk about the trauma that is experienced by particularly communities of color that are not based in schools but urban communities that are devastated by criminalization and violence. , masslook at trauma communities there have been --

black communities, there have been from a on our lives and families that we also need to take into account. how do we think about repairing from that in a way that does not end up criminalizing folks for foral disabilities, poverty, how do we get to re-about what happens when people are affirmed? and how do we create a process in which we can value the humanity of all people? that is something systemically, ly, we have not begun to build models around harm. host: some pushback, a piece in the federalist which asks 20 questions of march organizers that they should consider. it point out things like the

fact that most school homicides are the results of beatings or stabbings as opposed to shootings. they are not addressing that. energy not enough devoted to how emotionally healthy schools are, it is not addressing the teen suicide rate on the rise while school students have actually decreased -- what do you say to concerns about this, that this is not getting at the issues that are more likely to affect a student in school? caller: sure. hold multipleely sets of truths. i tend understand that in some communities, some schools are under resourced. that is a form of violence. ourced schools that do not have adequate support to support their students and their teachers to deal with these

situations, to deal with strom, to deal with any form of violence that is impacting their communities -- to deal with trauma, to deal with any form of violence that is impacting their communities. to think about public health. healthlence is a public emergency. it is normally about a strai n of resources. talkingimes get tied up about what is considered violence. atwe want to take a look some of the protests that are happening after michael brown , tons ofand killed folks were talking about how -- with talk about --

we have to talk about the different forms of harm and how attacked all been different forms of community. idea ofto expand that safety in a way that also brings in communities of color and and all ofmmigrants those folks who have not have their voice heard. barry,ante cofounder and director of million hoodies. thank you for joining us. caller: thank you for having me. host: you can find more information at millionhoodies.ne t. we are talking about the march is taking place today in protest of school violence. ellen is calling from potomac, maryland. what do you think? i think gun s

ellers should be responsible of locking that a buyer has a up safe. a family where every generation has had guns for hunting. this is my main thing, you have got to have that sellers examine the buyer in some way. check them out, go to their house, make sure they have their safe fugun storage. people kill people. guns do not kill. the shooter in parkland, he himself was able to purchase the gun for it it was not a matter of whether it was locked up safely, he was able to go purchase the gun and use it. what do you think will prevent episodes like that? caller: they have some

psychological test an examine these people. they have got to find out if they have got any history at all of mental illness or aggression. i think they can wipe out quite a few of those. host: we are watching scenes of the people who are gathering in washington dc ahead of the march for our lives scheduled to start at noon. thousands of people are coming to capitol hill. half a million people are expected and we are talking to you getting your thoughts about the march is happening across the country and world. if you're 25 and under, a line for you, (202) 748-8000, all ,thers can call (202) 748-8001 and give us your thoughts about

the school gun debate and what these processes are doing -- protesters are doing. cj, you are 25 and under. are you going to be attending a protest in minnesota? caller: no, i called the wrong line. think? you necessary but it goes to show you that when washington does not do their job and in a previous administration, they were not doing their job and blame the president, now they do not have anything to hide behind. , at leasthe callers they are engaged. my son, who i just job. to the , -- who inal guard just dropped off to the army national guard.

i think what these kids are doing is so cool. it reminds me of myself back in the day. a lot of people who oppose gun control measures are limiting access to certain ages point out that we ask our young up, to go fight for our country the same way your son and other members of you family have, so how can turn around and say, you cannot purchase a gun when the second amendment protects that right? caller: i was asking my son that same question i was driving him to his duty station. -- i was impressed with his point of view. when these kids step up to the

plate to start getting engaged, they are not as naive. big ups to that. when something bad happens, something good, and the people who are supposed to be held accountable, they are at home on the phone with each other trying to figure out how they are going to maneuver their way out of this. they are both calling each other over. they are scared. they are going to lose their jobs and all of this stuff is going on. these people put them on the spot and they do not know how to deal. greg is calling from michigan. you are under 25. are you doing protested -- protests today? caller: not today, unfortunately. host: what do you think about these protests? caller: i'm completely supportive of it. host: you are from a stay in the

midwest, where i am from as well. there is hunting, a lot of support for gun rights. what makes you support this movement coming from a place like michigan. it's not that i do not support the right to bear arms, but there should be more gun,tion on owning a safety, and how to properly take care of a firearm for it -- firearm. you just take a course like a drivers course and have to obtain a license rather than walking into a store and it free much anyone can buy a rifle. host: in the washington post today, there is a column about arey's march saying youth taking matters into their own hands. they say, it matters not how many children, teenagers, and families show up for the march demonstration and our nations do not, numbers

matter, not as much as the reason behind this mobilization for it -- mobilization. how could they not step forward? stiffen has failed to the spines of elected officials who in the face of gun lobby pressure had lost the scores of gun violence. it falls on today's young people to lead the way just as youths of prior generations took it upon themselves to force america to face up to other national curses. they are driven by the spirit of protest. we have a young lady calling in for miami. also under 25, are you protesting today? caller: yeah, some people from my school are going to the march in washington. host: what makes you make that trek from florida to washington? caller: i am one of many who is

tired of seeing cheney's happen which is absolutely necessary. we are up there to give our support and show that we actually need things to happen my gun reform and not necessarily banning all guns, but at least, to do something to have more safety in our school. host: what is something? there been a lot of different proposals made, some restricting the age limits on high-capacity arming teachers, some fortifying school buildings are adding resource officers background some checks, what specifically do you think will be most effective. for example, florida legislation, they just passed a -- banst not only by bump stocks but to arm teachers. it would be more focused to limit the sensibility of of guns

rather than adding more guns. that will fuel the fire adding guns against guns. for me, i would not feel safe if i walked into a classroom where a teacher had a gun and if chanceg, that is more for anyone with so much rage to get the gun without any warning. i feel like that is not the solution here. when rather be taking them away, not taking them away completely, but making sure that people have extreme background checks, making sure they have to at least be older than 20 want to get a gun. abc news reports of the trump administration has made moves to try and ban bump stocks from being sold since president donald trump tweeted friday that his administration will ban bump stocks and blame to former

president barack obama for allowing them in the first place. beforeeted comments, day today's student protest. obamaesident tweeted, administration legalized bump stocks, bad idea. as i promised, the department will issue a rule banning bump stocks. we will ban all devices that lead -- that turn all devices into illegal weapons. the department of justice has begun the process to amend federal firearm regulations to clarify that bump stocks should fall under machine guns which have more restrictions. bridget who is calling in from fairfield, iowa. good morning, thanks for calling. good morning. i really like the article you just shared. i think that is a really good

approach. what i want to talk about was buy red, no-fly, no flag laws. once you get tagged in that system, it is very hard to get out. for example, the obama era doing -- they went and put mandatory on all states to anybody that was voluntarily committed to take away their gun rights and they had to throw in the court to prove that they were not a threat to society. mr. kennedy could not even get on a plane once this happened. this is the thing i want these young kids to remember, when we are out protesting, remember , say there is a poor child

that has been traumatized. if that child gets on that list, which it well in current status, is that fair to the child? sometimes people who are good people have bad things that happen to them. we need to be careful about what we are doing here. i do not like the no buy, no fly. i do not think you need to criminalize somebody because they had a mental disorder. that is ridiculous. flake's idea is off like. .s -- is a flake as far as mr. rubio, that is a better idea than what obama did.

law.efd flag host: tony is calling and from fort lauderdale, florida. what do you think about today's protests? caller: really not toomuch. these children are so traumatized and we are going to listen to people who are panicky -- i just want to ask a few things. they say they want to ban assault weapons, whatever that is. i want to remind everybody that the first mass school shooting was columbine. , fiveurred in the middle years into the first weapons ban. no gun use there was banned.

you cannot just wave you cannot just wave a law and feel good. it is not about safety, all about politics. hogg, he goes, on tv cursing, i hope his parents are proud. but somehow, they are not concerned with the police, fbi, failure failure to protect anybody. nobody seems focused on that. host: what would you like to see changed? what do you think should happen to ensure that things like of the parkland shooting does not happen again? caller: how about we hold the police and the agencies accountable for the existing laws.

jobs,ople had done their this would never have happened. over 6000 kids die every year a , mindless accidents road texting and driving. do we want to ban cell phones? even having a clear backpack, it is an indignity. they cannot even do that. about whatl talk florida lawmakers are doing their where they just had historic gun control build. ll.bi the republican-controlled legislature passed a major agreeingol measure of to arm teachers and other school staff. it was approved in response to mass shooting4 that left 17 people dead after more than seven hours of emotional debate.

it hit the sensitive political gun control, education, and race, the house of the7-50 in favor bill. after the vote, andrew pollack, father of meadow, 18, who was killed in the attack, applauded the legislature for approving the bill but pledged to push for more gun control. he was one of the parents who went to the white house to urge for gun-control measure, meeting with president trump in a televised meeting after the parkland shooting. jonathan is calling from missouri. you are under 25, what do you think? caller: i am actually 13 years old, and a middle school student. marches, theyhe will let our politicians know that we need gun control and we need them now. i disagree with the lab collar in florida, i honestly think

this has nothing to do with politics -- with the last caller in florida, i honestly think this has nothing to do a politics. our to let politicians know kids need safety, not to say donald trump bashes obama for bump stocks or whatever. this has nothing to do with politics. yesterday, we did a walk out in our middle school. we sent letters to our in jefferson city to let them know we do not feel safe and we want gun control and we want it now. host: what do you say to the who say, these are kids, they have been through trauma, they may not understand these issues fully enough, we should not be listening to them. what is your response? caller: my response is that everyone has their own opinion, i could say that we can have a middle ground if that makes sense. the top thing you

would like to see happening of all of these proposals we've been talking about today. what do you think you would like to see that would make you feel the most safe in your school as a 13-year-old? probably haveuld more officers in our school, and we should probably have more security to try to get in. our school, to get in the s chool, you have to ring a bell and they have to check you and see if you are okay or not. we should have more security in schools in general. host: thank you for your call. another young person, liam is calling in from brookfield, connecticut. are you getting involved in the protest today? caller: no, i am actually not. and response the last caller, i completely a political protests going on today.

i'm from the town with a 26 people were murdered only a few years ago. my community felt it deeply. to say it is not political is ridiculous. people like chuck, senator from new york, my own representative from the 5th connecticut going out and supporting this view and you know there are people paying for students to go out there, it has been tracked. i'm not the kind of person to be a conspirator, but when i am seeing something like this and these children are being and dr. ated it -- being indoctrin in this view and paid to go out there, i'm concerned about their health. host: liam, you are a young person who obviously, you have very strong views, isn't it possible for other young people to have strong views that disagree with you but perhaps

not indoctrinated just have their views? for people togood have their views, i will support that. but when they are coming across like this and it is obviously supported by politicians, i am sorry to say, but they are mostly on the left. it is about gun control. that is essentially what this entire march is about. i was watching your channel, and i see the people are holding signs about gun control outside. thatalways been a believer we should be doing the opposite of what has been going on in schools. biden was the senator at the time, he created a no guns -- gun free school zones. he passed that bill. what that essentially did is can come to any

school because there is no one to protect themselves. i think we should be doing the opposite. i do not think teachers should be arms but senior administrators such as principals should be armed under proper training. actually created a petition about it called keep our schools safe on change.org. host: richard is calling from arkansas, what do you think about all of this? caller: this last caller, he is the best i've heard all day. saw on a channel called one american news that cnn, once they found that at some of the speakers are going to have the -gun, theyere pro canceled every single one of the interviews on there. they only have the kids, the paid actors, down there. the kids that were

in favor of the second amendment, they canceled those kids from speaking. it is too bad about what is happening in the schools, but if you compare chicago, you can take all the school shootings the past 10 years, and that is not equal, the kids get killed last year.o reason this is the way it is, they immediately went after the nra. nowhere yet have this school shooters other families been nra members, but i think the reason is a major contributor to republicans running for office. callersseveral younger talking about we should amend our gun laws to be other countries have done -- to do other countries have done. if they were taking proper

classes, they would know the other countries do not have the second amendment. it is one of those small things made of those small things made something big to promote a left agenda. host: we are talking about they have already dissented on washington dc in preparation for this marsh that begins at 12:00. we will have ongoing coverage of the march here on c-span today. we thank you for joining us on washington journal. we will be back tomorrow morning at 7:00. until then, have a good saturday.