US President Donald Trump held an emotional interaction with students who survived the Florida school shooting at the White House on Wednesday. As hundreds of students gathered to protest across the country, the President listed ideas to prevent similar massacres and tighten background checks for gun buyers. A 19-year-old opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, killing 17 students and wounding several.
Among those Trump met yesterday was the father of a student who did not survive the attack. Rising to speak Andrew Pollack said, “We’re here because my daughter has no voice. She was murdered last week, she was taken from us… shot nine times on the third floor. We as a country failed our children.” His daughter Meadow Pollack, 18, was killed in the shooting.
President Donald Trump listens to Carson Abt, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
“We go to the airport and I can’t get on the plane with a bottle of water, but we allow some animal to walk into a school and shoot our children. We protect airports, concerts, stadiums, embassies, the Department of Education… (where) I walked in today that has a security guard in the elevator. How do you think that makes me feel?” he added.
Pollack’s emotional plea turned angry as he shouted at the President: “It should have been one school shooting and we should have fixed it. And I’m pissed. Because my daughter… I’m not going to see again.”
Andrew Pollack, father of slain Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Meadow Jade Pollack, joined by his sons, speaks during a listening session with President Donald Trump, high school students, teachers and others in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
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- Feb 22, 2018 at 2:11 pmEven in the worst of their times, Americans are enjoying the luxury of questioning their President, looking into his eyes and yelling at him. But here in our nation, the BJP's poster boy and handmade PM is hiding from Journalists and the Media since last four years. If you question his work/integrity or policies, some worshippers call you congressi, pseudo secular and many other names. We want such a time when media questions leaders especially Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers in our nation and rip them apart with their questions even for the slightest of callousness.Reply
- Feb 22, 2018 at 2:10 pmPoliticians all over the world same.For a few rupees ( in this case $) they will sacrifice people, children and the nations/ children security. how else one can view . USA is not keen to get a gun control act as the lobby is strong and rich. End result ,all of us know who benefits at the cost of children unarmed men, women, kids ( as it happened in Vegas , St church) lives. Here is a country where one cannot get even basic medicines without prescription such is the tight control but you can go to any weapon shop and a machine gun or any rapid firing weapon across the counter and kill innocent children. Yet The presidents (one after the other) and politicians find lame excuses to give no basic protection to children in school/ university or people in public place. It is a indeed a great shame. In India we have shameless politicians allow banks to be looted and look the other way when honest farmers commit suicide. What a shame?Reply
