Town Hall For Our Lives: 5 Things To Know About Latest Protests Organized By Parkland Survivors
April 3, 2018
Town Hall For Our Lives: 5 Things To Know About Latest Protests Organized By Parkland Survivors
After the success of the March For Our Lives, gun control activists are moving forward with Town Hall For Our Lives, a widespread forum with local lawmakers. Find out more about it here!
1. What is the Town Hall For Our Lives? On Saturday, April 7, students and allies fighting for gun control and safety will join together with their local lawmakers for a series of town halls. According to the Town Hall For Our Lives’ website, “You have more power than you think. Town halls are one of the most effective ways to use it. There is no better way to influence your representatives than in-person conversations…our elected representatives must listen and respond to the concerns of their constituents. Remember: you are their boss.”
There are currently 237 participating town halls listed for April 7, all across the country. In Florida, where 17 were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during a school shooting earlier this year, there are an absurd number of town halls alone. You can find one in your area, with your local constituent, by submitting your info HERE. An organizer will contact you with about where to go and when!
2. What to expect if you attend on of the Town Hall For Our Lives forums: per Town Hall Project — “The most powerful thing you can do, as a constituent, is ask an earnest, pressing question on an issue close to you. Your personal story is incredibly valuable. It’s precisely how sometimes dry policy is connected with the lives of real people. It’s not always easy to speak up, but these times call for courage in all of us. Take the mic and tell your representative why she or he needs to act in your best interest.
“The Town Hall Project strongly encourages you to only attend and ask questions of your own representatives. Remember that any town hall has limited time, and a question you take is one less question for a constituent.”
3. Parkland student survivors are strongly encouraging allies to participate: student activists from Parkland are rallying for the Town Hall For Our Lives, trying to get their many followers and allies to participate as much as they can on April 7. Student Matt Deitsch tweeted, “Go down to your congressman / mayors / Senators office — record yourselves inviting them to the town hall on your smart phones! Everyone’s home this week! They can’t ignore you!
One of the main organizers of the student-led #NeverAgain movement, David Hogg, tweeted, ““Call your rep today to organize it and if they refuse to show up, just invite their opponent.”
Go down to your congressman / mayors / Senators office — record yourselves inviting them to the town hall on your smart phones!
Everyone’s home this week!
They can’t ignore you! https://t.co/n7Szxups0K
— Matt Deitsch (@MattxRed) March 27, 2018
4. You can find out which representatives aren’t signed up for the forums — or who are choosing not to go: if you go on the Town Hall Project website, it will not only show you a list of Town Hall For Our Lives forums, but “empty chair” town halls, as well — events held without the attendance of an invited elected official.
5. Here’s who is behind the Town Hall For Our Lives movement: Town Hall For Our Lives is being organized and regulated by the Town Hall Project, a 2017 organization founded by a former Hillary Clinton campaign staffer named Jimmy Dahman. They’re working in conjunction with the March For Our Lives with the goal of holding a congressional town hall in every in every district on April 7. That date was chosen because Congress is on District Work Period — more commonly known as a “recess” — until April 9.