We still can create so much good out of tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High | Opinion

Out of all my memories from high school, this one remains among my most profound.

During my junior year, I remember parking my car and walking toward my local gym. As I approached the entrance, I heard someone say “Brandon,” so I stopped, turned around and saw my classmate Carmen standing there, smiling. We exchanged hellos — that was pretty much it — then went our separate ways.

The next day in my sixth-period class, she sat a couple rows behind and to the left of me. I remember going up to her and saying, “Carmen, it was nice to see you at the gym yesterday, I was honestly kind of surprised to see you there” to which she wittily responded, “Really? I was surprised to see you there.”

While this brief anecdote may seem trivial, sometimes the mundane things in life are among the most important. She was one of the smartest, most clever individuals I have ever known.

One year later, Carmen was killed in the mass shooting at my high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland.

I often think about why this specific memory is one of the most striking to me. It was the epitome of an ordinary interaction in a complex world. I used to yearn for that moment, to go back and have a normal high school experience. But while we do not have the power to change the past, we do have a responsibility to change our future.

When we reflect on such horrific events, we must remember that those whom we lost were real, tangible people who had families, friends, goals — and even comeback lines — just like anyone else. Those who died that day three years ago had their whole lives ahead of them — kids who were never given the chance to grow up, go to college, get married and raise a family. The adults who died never were able to say goodbye to their spouses and children or retire, and live the lives they always dreamed about.

We must take the epidemic of gun violence in America as seriously as any other public-health crisis. Mass shootings can impact anyone at any time and place, which makes it difficult to ensure complete safety anywhere without effective, holistic federal policies.

To promulgate real change in our country — a future without the fear, threat and the prevalence of mass shootings — we need comprehensive legislative action: Ban the sale of assault weapons with high-capacity magazines; fund more mental-health programs; add universal background checks; require gun licensing. And there’s much more that must be done.

Each time we hear about a deadly mass shooting, we repeat the same cycle. We first are horrified and offer our thoughts, prayers and donations to the victims and their families. We then propose solutions, followed by sensationalized debates amid calls for change. But the initial outrage dissipates, as those in office refuse to compromise on sensible policy measures. Another breaking-news story, and the public, media, and government move on — until the next mass shooting.

But not us.

Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel once said, “To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.” The same applies to victims of gun violence. We must carry on the memories of all who have passed. Our time together may come and go, but one’s legacy can live on forever. Vote, and honor victims with meaningful action.

Everyone wants a happy ending, but life doesn’t always work that way. There’s been no such outcome for the millions who have suddenly lost loved ones to gun violence, but things are changing. I think this time is different. We are all striving toward the everlasting mountaintop of a more perfect union and I truly believe we will all get there together. I promise change is coming.

Things only get better and improve in society when we fail and learn as a result, as well as when those who are unaffected by a cause care just as much as those who are directly affected. Instituting changes by acknowledging our faults starts with us. We can all make a difference — for Carmen and millions of others — together.

Brandon Abzug is a junior at the University of Florida, majoring in political science and criminology. He is a survivor of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.