George Clooney has put a lot of money where his outspoken voice is.
Allow us to explain…
Earlier this month, students who survived this month’s horrific shooting Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Florida announced that they were organizing a march for Sunday, March 24.
Set up by classmates Jacqueline Coren, Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky, David Hogg and Alex Wind, the “March for Our Lives” will call attention to the need for this nation to impose stricter gun control legislation.
And Clooney wants to do his part to help.
“Amal and I are so inspired by the courage and eloquence of these young men and women from Stoneman Douglas High School,” the actor said in a statement.
He added:
“Our family will be there on March 24 to stand side by side with this incredible generation of young people from all over the country, and in the name of our children Ella and Alexander, we’re donating $ 500,000 to help pay for this groundbreaking event.
“Our children’s lives depend on it.”
On the morning the above students announced their plan, they did so by saying they will take to the streets “to demand that their lives and safety become a priority.”
They said their goal is to “end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools.”
Last Wednesday, a 19-year-old former student went on a rampage with a semiautomatic AR-15-style assault rifle, killing 17 young men and women, along with faculty members.
In the following days, the heroic survivors of this massacre have refused to remain silent.
They’ve hammered politicians for accepting donations from the National Rifle Association and made it clear they will not rest until new laws are enacted.
Many celebrities, such as Lady Gaga, have spoken out in support of this cause.
In their mission statement for the March of Life, these students said the following:
School safety is not a political issue. There cannot be two sides to doing everything in our power to ensure the lives and futures of children who are at risk of dying when they should be learning, playing, and growing.
The mission and focus of March for Our Lives is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues.
No special interest group, no political agenda is more critical than timely passage of legislation to effectively address the gun violence issues that are rampant in our country.
Every kid in this country now goes to school wondering if this day might be their last. We live in fear.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Change is coming…
Clooney and his wife, meanwhile, are known for donating large sums of money to political causes.
Last year, they gave $ 1 million to the Southern Poverty Law Center following a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that led to counter-protests and the death of a woman.