America's incredible teenagers

Can America's teens save us all?

Students protesting gun violence.
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

When the news broke last week that 17 people had been killed in a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, a familiar sense of tragic acceptance seemed to set in across much of America. This is our reality. There have been at least 25 fatal, active shootings at elementary and high schools in the 19 years since Columbine, a magnitude that has ushered the phrase "school shooting" into the American lexicon, complete with its own expectations and rituals. As one Parkland legislator put it last week: "We've seen this show before … You know what is going to happen after this? Nothing."

During the succession of candlelight vigils and funerals that followed, Americans bemoaned the uselessness of phrases like "thoughts and prayers" and "never again." Lawmakers squirmed as they once again were asked uncomfortable questions by reporters. President Trump offered overtures about protecting children that faded into vague talk of "mental health" and perhaps a conciliatory bump stock ban.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.