Parkland students open up to Dan Rather in moving interview

Nearly five weeks after the shooting massacre that left 17 students and teachers dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., five survivors sat down with Dan Rather to share their experiences and how they are using their voices to mobilize the country to say, #NeverAgain.

“Everything is different in life,” 17-year-old junior Alex Wind said during an exclusive interview for SiriusXM Radio Andy (Ch. 102). “There will never be a normal because our normal was completely screwed up for us. Time has no concept anymore.”

Junior class president Jaclyn Corin talked about the new normal for her.

“I went from a normal teenage girl to hiding in my classroom for my life and then being thrust on a national stage,” the 17-year-old explained. “And that’s not normal. So, we’re trying to make that not a reality for other normal kids that should maintain a normal life.”

In the hours following the Valentine’s Day tragedy, students sprung into action using their voices on social media and various news outlets to share their stories.

“Unfortunately, it took my community getting hit right at home for me to get active,” 17-year-old junior Cameron Kasky admitted. “And that makes me feel like I’m being selfish because I only did this because we were hit. We have to forgive ourselves for that. What we are doing is for those we’ve lost. We are standing for them. And this is an important fight.”

To understand the fear of gun violence plaguing students on a daily basis, 17-year-old senior David Hogg met with students from Thurgood Marshall Academy in Washington D.C.

“I think everybody that doesn’t get out and vote and isn’t politically active is absolutely complicit in these children having to live like this every day,” Hogg added. “I don’t think we can accept gun violence regardless of what community this occurs in or anywhere else.”

The Parkland students said this movement is not just about them — it’s about making sure people across the entire country can go to school, church, a concert, a movie, and a nightclub without fearing for their lives. So they decided to march and so began the March For Our Lives.

“What makes you think it wouldn’t happen to you?” 18-year-old senior Emma Gonzalez said. “Do this for yourself. Do this for your family. Do this for your neighbors. Do it for anyone.”

Hear ‘Dan Rather’s America’ on SiriusXM Radio Andy (Ch. 102) Tuesdays at 10 am ET.

More SiriusXM coverage of ‘March for Our Lives’: