Last night on CNN International, Republican strategist Austin James and I took a calm and sobering look at gun violence and the degrees of gun control or gun use by educators. On the heels of an emotional town hall meeting featuring both legislators and Dana Loesch of the NRA, emotions are still raw and a community still reeling.

Whereas the 1955 open-casket funeral of Emmett Till shocked America and pushed African-Americans into the civil rights movement; it would be 10 years before the Civil Rights Act would be passed. One could argue for all the momentum that the murder of Till generated, it wasn’t until the murders of four girls in the 16th st. Baptist Church bombing in 1963 that the movement was pushed over the top.

The parallel could be that the Sandy Hook tragedy, although violent and shocking could have changed the trajectory of the conversation, and Parkland with its many social media videos be the final push needed to bring about action.

But no, I’m not confident or optimistic in that prospect either. I am hopeful nonetheless.  This (like the Civil Rights movement) will take years if not a generation.

#FloridaSchoolShooting survivors call for #gunreform while #trump wants armed teachers w @AustinJames & @MrMokelly https://t.co/rgGavrSvtw

— john vause (@vausecnn) February 22, 2018