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<p>On Valentines Day, a gunman entered and <a href="https://www.someecards.com/life/school/school-shooting-survivor-tells-lawmakers-we-need-action/" target="_self">killed 17 people at Stoneman Douglas Highschool</a>, forever changing the lives of the student body, and the family members affected.</p><p>Just two days after the tragedy, 18-year-old <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a18671363/parkland-students-shooting-ellen-degeneres-emma-gonzalez/" target="_blank">Emma Gonzalez delivered an impassioned 11-minute-speech</a> at an anti-gun rally in Fort Lauderdale and quickly went viral.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here’s the speech from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Emma Gonzalez at an anti-gun rally happening today in Fort Lauderdale <a href="https://t.co/CyfMnPDAvW">https://t.co/CyfMnPDAvW</a> // <a href="https://t.co/hgewZy4Cxf">https://t.co/hgewZy4Cxf</a> <a href="https://t.co/gssAmGczuH">https://t.co/gssAmGczuH</a></p>&mdash; Joshua Chavers (@JoshuaChavers) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaChavers/status/964935557318152192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p><strong>In the days following the tragedy, Gonzalez and several of the other <a href="https://www.someecards.com/news/news/florida-school-shooting-survivors-drag-conspiracy-theories/" target="_self">Florida shooting survivors have been dragging trolls</a> and assertively advocating for stricter gun laws.</strong></p><oembed>https://twitter.com/UPROXXNews/status/964134976768835584</oembed><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p><strong>The momentum has been gathering rapidly, and as of today, Gonzalez has accrued more Twitter followers than the NRA.</strong></p><p>She has 691,000 followers (and growing) on Twitter, while the NRA only has 562,000.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As of today, <a href="https://twitter.com/Emma4Change?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Emma4Change</a> now has more followers than the <a href="https://twitter.com/NRA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NRA</a>. It happened in less than two weeks. <br><br>This is a movement.<br>This is the future.<br>Change is now. <a href="https://t.co/8yHSpq9Zac">pic.twitter.com/8yHSpq9Zac</a></p>&mdash; Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) <a href="https://twitter.com/BeauWillimon/status/967521923596013569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>In addition to the energy and support survivors have drawn from individuals across the country, several companies have pulled out of promotion contracts with the NRA.</p><p><strong>Big-pocket companies such as United and Delta airlines, the car hire firm Hertz, the automobile pricing firm TrueCar, First National Bank have withdrawn from previous deals with the NRA.</strong></p><p>The list is growing as I type this.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In just 48 hours, these companies cut ties with the NRA:<br><br>Delta<br>United<br>Hertz<br>Avis<br>Budget<br>Allied Van Lines<br>MetLife<br>Symantec<br>Alamo <br>National <br>Enterprise<br>First National Bank of Omaha<br>Teladoc<br>SimpliSafe</p>&mdash; George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/967497556900175872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">To all companies who severed ties with the NRA, those personally affected by their influence on legislation thank you ♥️♥️ <a href="https://t.co/Wei4EepNMu">https://t.co/Wei4EepNMu</a></p>&mdash; Emma González (@Emma4Change) <a href="https://twitter.com/Emma4Change/status/967846203080626176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>Rather than engaging in an honest conversation about gun control, responsible gun ownership, and the growing terror of shootings in the U.S., the NRA head Wayne LaPierre delivered an impassioned speech conveniently blaming everything else under the sun.</p><p>In his indicting speech, LaPierre blamed the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-43163710/nra-and-florida-seven-things-wayne-lapierre-blames-after-shooting" target="_blank">Florida shooting on failed police</a> response, lack of security in the high school, a failed mental health system, the FBI, lack of family structure (what), the mainstream media, Democrats (I am pretending to be shocked), and &quot;European Socialists.&quot; So, basically, everything except guns.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We can&#39;t bring you with us...<br><br>But this is pretty close! <a href="https://t.co/hJxRq4MqJp">https://t.co/hJxRq4MqJp</a></p>&mdash; Chicks On The Right (@chicksonright) <a href="https://twitter.com/chicksonright/status/966693200080658432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>This response to the most recent gun tragedy is not only unsurprising, but completely in line with the NRA&#39;s current goals. According to a <a href="https://twitter.com/chicksonright/status/966693200080658432" target="_blank">BBC report</a>, the NRA invests more than $3 million annually lobbying to get more guns sold.</p><div><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="263" src="https://giphy.com/embed/l1J3s7Zw6H6KG6H6M" width="480"></iframe> <p> </p> </div><p>And according to the <a href="http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls" target="_blank">Gun Violence Archive</a>, there were 345 mass shootings in America throughout the course of 2017 alone. All this is to say,</p><p>So, Gonzalez accruing more Twitter followers than the NRA is more than just a symbolic win. It signals a cultural shift where more people are turning their eyes and ears towards the weight of this violence, ready to vote in legislators who will actually stand up.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A gentle reminder that all we are aiming for here is stricter gun laws that make it harder for people to get guns (because it shouldn&#39;t be easier than getting a drivers license) and the removal of Military Grade Weapons from Civilian Society. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BanAssaultRifles?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BanAssaultRifles</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GunContolNow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GunContolNow</a></p>&mdash; Emma González (@Emma4Change) <a href="https://twitter.com/Emma4Change/status/967763057983262720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>In the course of the past two weeks, Gonzalez and her fellow classmates have held huge companies accountable for their deals with the NRA, sparked in-depth national debate about the need for gun control, made television appearances for their cause, and urged young voters to get registered.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">PLEASE PRE-REGISTER TO VOTE IF YOUR STATE ALLOWS! TO MY GENERATION: WE MUST VOTE OUT THE PEOPLE WHO VALUE DOLLARS OVER LIVES! <a href="https://t.co/IQ6pcruIGI">https://t.co/IQ6pcruIGI</a></p>&mdash; Jaclyn Corin (@JaclynCorin) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaclynCorin/status/967386989111709697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>The fact that Gonzalez rapidly garnered more Twitter followers than the NRA speaks to far more than social media numbers. It speaks to the gun crisis in America being met with the energy of the next generation of voters.</p><div className="ad-splitter"></div>

Florida shooting survivor just beat the NRA on Twitter. Here's why that matters.

On Valentines Day, a gunman entered and killed 17 people at Stoneman Douglas Highschool, forever changing the lives of the student body, and the family members affected.Just two days after the tragedy, 18-year-old Emma Gonzalez delivered an impassioned 11-minute-speech at an anti-gun rally in Fort Lauderdale and quickly went viral.Here’s the speech from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Emma Gonzalez at an anti-gun rally happening today in Fort Lauderdale https://t.co/CyfMnPDAvW // https://t.co/hgewZy4Cxf https://t.co/gssAmGczuH&mdash; Joshua Chavers (@JoshuaChavers) February 17, 2018 In the days following the tragedy, Gonzalez and several of the other Florida shooting survivors have been dragging trolls and assertively advocating for stricter gun laws.https://twitter.com/UPROXXNews/status/964134976768835584The momentum has been gathering rapidly, and as of today, Gonzalez has accrued more Twitter followers than the NRA.She has 691,000 followers (and growing) on Twitter, while the NRA only has 562,000.As of today, @Emma4Change now has more followers than the @NRA. It happened in less than two weeks. This is a movement.This is the future.Change is now. pic.twitter.com/8yHSpq9Zac&mdash; Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) February 24, 2018 In addition to the energy and support survivors have drawn from individuals across the country, several companies have pulled out of promotion contracts with the NRA.Big-pocket companies such as United and Delta airlines, the car hire firm Hertz, the automobile pricing firm TrueCar, First National Bank have withdrawn from previous deals with the NRA.The list is growing as I type this.In just 48 hours, these companies cut ties with the NRA:DeltaUnitedHertzAvisBudgetAllied Van LinesMetLifeSymantecAlamo National EnterpriseFirst National Bank of OmahaTeladocSimpliSafe&mdash; George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) February 24, 2018 To all companies who severed ties with the NRA, those personally affected by their influence on legislation thank you ♥️♥️ https://t.co/Wei4EepNMu&mdash; Emma González (@Emma4Change) February 25, 2018 Rather than engaging in an honest conversation about gun control, responsible gun ownership, and the growing terror of shootings in the U.S., the NRA head Wayne LaPierre delivered an impassioned speech conveniently blaming everything else under the sun.In his indicting speech, LaPierre blamed the Florida shooting on failed police response, lack of security in the high school, a failed mental health system, the FBI, lack of family structure (what), the mainstream media, Democrats (I am pretending to be shocked), and &quot;European Socialists.&quot; So, basically, everything except guns.We can&#39;t bring you with us...But this is pretty close! https://t.co/hJxRq4MqJp&mdash; Chicks On The Right (@chicksonright) February 22, 2018 This response to the most recent gun tragedy is not only unsurprising, but completely in line with the NRA&#39;s current goals. According to a BBC report, the NRA invests more than $3 million annually lobbying to get more guns sold.   And according to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 345 mass shootings in America throughout the course of 2017 alone. All this is to say,So, Gonzalez accruing more Twitter followers than the NRA is more than just a symbolic win. It signals a cultural shift where more people are turning their eyes and ears towards the weight of this violence, ready to vote in legislators who will actually stand up.A gentle reminder that all we are aiming for here is stricter gun laws that make it harder for people to get guns (because it shouldn&#39;t be easier than getting a drivers license) and the removal of Military Grade Weapons from Civilian Society. #BanAssaultRifles #GunContolNow&mdash; Emma González (@Emma4Change) February 25, 2018 In the course of the past two weeks, Gonzalez and her fellow classmates have held huge companies accountable for their deals with the NRA, sparked in-depth national debate about the need for gun control, made television appearances for their cause, and urged young voters to get registered.PLEASE PRE-REGISTER TO VOTE IF YOUR STATE ALLOWS! TO MY GENERATION: WE MUST VOTE OUT THE PEOPLE WHO VALUE DOLLARS OVER LIVES! https://t.co/IQ6pcruIGI&mdash; Jaclyn Corin (@JaclynCorin) February 24, 2018 The fact that Gonzalez rapidly garnered more Twitter followers than the NRA speaks to far more than social media numbers. It speaks to the gun crisis in America being met with the energy of the next generation of voters.