Abigail Frost graduated from Michigan State University this past December 2022 with a degree in Social Relations and Policy and the following minors: Agribusiness Management, and Science, Technology, Environment and Public Policy (STEPP). She is currently employed as a substitute teacher and plans to begin a career in sustainable agriculture this spring.
The morning after the shooting, I texted my friend Ellie Baden asking what we should do to help. We have not organized a protest before, but we are both politically- and socially minded students, as I recently graduated from James Madison College and Ellie is due to graduate from JMC this spring. We love our Spartan community, and we cannot silently mourn.
For this reason, we decided to plan a protest on the Capitol lawn for 4:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 17th. We are in contact with other MSU protest organizers, and we want to give as many opportunities as possible for Spartans to grieve together and demand change. Our plan is to have numerous groups speak, from MSU students to Michigan State legislators.
There will also be time at the end for those who wish to speak informally. The goal for this protest is to provide a public space for people to grieve the loss of our fellow Spartans and demand common sense gun reform from the legislature, such as enhanced background checks for gun purchasers, waiting periods and permits for all firearms.
We are so much stronger together than alone and, in order to create a better life for us all, we must show up and advocate for change. Lawmakers are listening to us: The Governor's office and a few state legislators have already contacted us about how to keep our momentum going after Friday's protest is over. If you have any further questions about the protest or future advocacy, please email spartanstrongprotest@gmail.com.
We are sending so much love out to each of you, and we hope everyone is holding up okay during this challenging time. We would be honored to have you at the protest tomorrow.