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Thousands, some say hundreds of thousands, will participate in the "March For Our Lives" tomorrow.
Thousands, maybe millions of Americans are wondering who is really behind this "student-led" event.
Well, it depends on who is doing the explaining.
A tale of two marches.
When I glanced at the Huffington Post story titled, "Behind the Millions of Dollars Raised By Parkland Students, An Adult Board of Directors," I thought it was interesting that this far-Left progressive icon was actually trying to publish a little truth, underscore "truth" about who is really behind the "student-led" march in DC tomorrow.
I read a little more: "Students may be the face of the new gun violence prevention movement, but there are also adults working behind the scenes."
Could it be, I wondered?
So, I read a little more. And came to an interesting, but not surprising conclusion.
The Huff Post and the March From The Left
The Huff begins by noting that "Millions of dollars in donations have poured into a fundraiser launched by student survivors of the school shooting last month in Parkland, Florida. When it comes to activism, the teens are running the show. But there are adults behind the scenes..."
The Huff quickly identifies that the millions and millions already raised will certainly be used for the March tomorrow, but will also be used to "fight for comprehensive gun safety legislation" and "to promote voter education, ballot initiatives and lobbying efforts"---this from the lobbying firm "42 West" who will make thousands if not millions from assisting the student-led protests, education efforts and legislative efforts on behalf of the kids in coming months and years.
The Huff also says in allocating the money, there is a legal board of adults who will decide where it goes and when, and an "advisory board' of the kids who are "leading" this movement.
The board includes George Kieffer, chair of the Board of Regents of UCLA, Jeri Rhodes who is with the Friends (Quakers) Washington-based anti-gun lobbying group, and several others, including a couple of attorneys---none from Florida.
The non-profit organization is based in Delaware.
And Huff admits that yes, there are a number of organizations involved in helping this "student-led" movement.
The rationalization of all this non-student leadership is, "It's perfectly normal for adults to be involved when millions of dollars are at stake."
A significant part of the story is making the case that "really, the kids are in charge." They quote Cameron Kasky, a 17-year-old from the Florida high school where the shooting occurred, who says yes, we are "getting a lot of help from many adults and organizations...and are allowing those willing to help to do so where they can," and even though he isn't old enough to book his own hotel in DC for tomorrow's march, he says, "but we make sure that we are still calling the shots."
Of course, they are.
A spokesperson for "42 West" says many high profile personalities have donated to the fund, including Oprah Winfrey, $500,000; George Clooney, $500,000; Gucci, $500,000 and a number of other "gracious donors."
I'm certain they won't want anything from this student-led movement---even though Clooney has said he plans to march with the kids tomorrow, and he's considering running for president of the United States---I wouldn't be surprised to see others joining the kids tomorrow somewhere near the TV cameras.
There's more on how involved Kasky and other teenagers are in the Huff tale, concluding with the declaration, that this is a most unusual student-led movement.
My take is that they see how obviously "not student-led" this event really is and are doing damage control in advance---which will be very helpful to the multiple lobbying, consulting, marketing and other "helpers" standing by to spend Oprah's, Clooney's, Gucci's and other's money to help ban guns, even though only the donors who want to be known are known, the rest are not.
But not to worry. Jeff Kasky, the father of Cameron, says, "We are being directed by people with knowledge of how to responsibly spend this money and it's going to be very transparent. Every penny will be accounted for."
Front Page and The March from the Right
Daniel Greenfield, an investigative journalist at the Freedom Center, wrote in Front Page how he sees the March very differently.
He says while the NRA is maligned 24/7 because of what they do, they are upfront about what they do. However, the numerous organizations "helping" this "student-led" movement, are not so transparent.
He says the best way to figure out who the "helpers" are is to "follow the money."
And he does---or at least tries to:
The 42 West is a full-service PR firm operating out of New York and Los Angles that represents major celebrities. They were supposedly recommended by George Clooney.
The person legally in charge of the event is Deena Katz. She is a Hollywood producer. She formerly produced "Dancing with the Stars" and currently produces Bill Maher's show. She, I guess, would be producing the parade tomorrow.
Greenfield notes that all the board members are from various far-Left anti-gun organizations, but in identifying each of them, also notes that none are from Florida.
And he says, "None of this has much to do with Parkland. The mass shooting by a mentally ill man who should have been committed and arrested long before he carried out his massacre was a political opportunity."
"Now," he says, "that opportunity is being exploited to the hilt by a professional class of political activists."
He's right. And in adherence to Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, these folks are seizing the day. And millions of dollars for their "services."
Greenfield says of tomorrow's march, "Out front are the high school students and out back are the professional activists."
No adult wants to see violence toward kids or anyone else---using guns, knives, clubs, drugs or other weapons, but this isn't that.
Greenfield says of this march and movement, "That's what an illegitimate lobby thwarting the will of the people really looks like."
The media will hyper-report all this tomorrow and over the weekend. It will be a beautiful narrative, backed by passionate pictures---all toward one end--- To abolish the Second Amendment as it was written, and ultimately confiscate guns in America.
And to spend those millions of dollars through the "helping" organizations who stand behind the kids.
It's very troubling to watch kids being used as pawns.
Greenfield says, "Instead of March for our Lives, maybe it's time to March for the Truth?"
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Prayerful...Then Be Active.