Artist will.i.am, an executive producer on documentary Parkland Rising, has a message for people about gun violence in America.
Parkland Rising is a documentary about the aftermath of the February 14, 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The shooting claimed the lives of 17 people, and ignited a movement against gun violence.
In the wake of the shooting, students and survivors like Cameron Kasky, David Hogg, and Emma Gonzales became activists for gun reform. To show their power, students at Stoneman Douglas spearheaded March For Our Lives which became one of the largest protests in American history.
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The slogan for the documentary reads “The young people will win,” a nod to the young activists who are fighting for change in American policy in order to ensure a safer future for generations to come. Refinery29 is debuting a new video from willi.i.am encouraging people to watch the documentary — which is also executive produced by Katie Couric and directed by Cheryl Horner McDonough.
“The fact that people have access to military weapons is insane. There’s regulations with fighter airplanes, there’s regulations with tanks, there’s regulations with any insane, inhuman killing machine, except for rifles. Rifles that Marines use, people have access to buy at supermarkets,” he explains.
Will.i.am notes that legislation was put in place almost immediately in the wake of reports of vaping-related illness and death, but not much has been done to combat gun violence despite so many more people being killed by guns in the United States.
"This documentary is important, because we have to do everything we can to wake people up,” he says. “Because the people that need to be woken up just so happen to be the people with the power to make the laws."
Watch the clip from will.i.am below:
Parkland Rising has its world premiere screening at the Woodstock Film Festival Friday, October 4th at 9 PM. An additional screening will be held Saturday, October 5th.