Bill Nelson: “it is with a heavy heart that I bring a report to the Senate from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL…”

“it is with a heavy heart that I bring a report to the Senate from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, a suburb of Ft. Lauderdale. The teachers and staff of the school returned to work today, which is less than 2 weeks after a former student walked on to the campus with an AR-15 and opened fire on all three floors of a classroom building. I have spent time the past couple of weeks in Parkland, visiting with some of the families. Those of us who are parents can only imagine the grief and anger that they are feeling, just like the grief and anger after every one of these massacres. I have also spent time meeting with some of the courageous students who have turned this tragedy into a call for action. As I have suggested to them, their hope gives me hope. Their determination gives me all the more determination. These students have told us over and over that they don't plan to stop until Congress and the State legislators around the country start enacting commonsense gun reform. They have said that they are not going to stop, and neither am I. What happened at that high school shouldn't happen anywhere in this country. It shouldn't have happened in Columbine. It shouldn't have happened in Newtown. It shouldn't have happened in Orlando. It shouldn't have happened at the Ft. Lauderdale airport or Parkland. It shouldn't happen, period. Now it is up to us to make sure that it never happens again. This Senator grew up on a ranch.…”