Parkland students and gun control activists are frustrated with lawmakers for taking quick action to protect animals on airplanes while failing to make moves on stricter gun reform.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Thursday introduced a bill to ban airlines from putting animals in overhead compartments, Mashable reported.
The bill, called the Welfare of Our Furry Friends Act (WOOFF), came hours after a puppy died on a United Airlines flight because it was forced into an overhead bin for a three-hour flight. On the same day, students staged a national walkout to honor the victims of a school shooting last month in Parkland, Florida.
Today, I introduced the Welfare of Our Furry Friends Act, also known as WOOFF, w my colleague @SenCortezMasto. Our bill directs the @FAANews to create regulations to prohibit the storing of a live animal in any overhead compartment and establish civil fines for violations #WOOFF pic.twitter.com/U3nZqLNIaH
— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) March 15, 2018
Activists, including Parkland survivors Cameron Kasky and Lex Michael, called Kennedy out for hypocrisy. He has been a vocal opponent of gun control laws.
https://twitter.com/cameron_kasky/status/974296390384922625
https://twitter.com/cameron_kasky/status/974334728168976390
https://twitter.com/lexforchange/status/974363710981632000
If pets were being gunned down by an AR-15?
— Sheryl 🎉🎉Retired as of 1.1.24🎉🎉 (@SherylReeder) March 15, 2018
Sensible gun legislation in the blink of an eye.
Guaranteed.
https://twitter.com/bonibrat/status/974316961197801472
While no one is delegitimizing the importance of protecting animals from abuse on airplanes, they still question why the senator can’t apply the same logic to protecting the public from gun violence.
H/T Mashable