We all know the drill. There’s a mass shooting, and everyone is horrified. Almost immediately, gun control advocates call for long-needed changes to American laws, and the NRA and its purchased politicians insist it’s ‘too soon.’ We get pro forma statements of condolence and faux compassion; the proverbial ‘thoughts and prayers.’ And nothing happens. Nothing ever happens.

After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida, in which seventeen students and teachers were killed, everyone pretty much anticipated more of the same. More meaningless commiseration from politicians, and no action, at all. Well, it hasn’t happened yet, and the reason is that amazing group of kids who survived. The first one I saw on television was Emma Gonzalez. A buzz-saw in a buzz-cut, passionate and angry and smart as hell.

Politicians who sit in their gilded House and Senate seats funded by the NRA telling us nothing could have been done to prevent this, we call BS. They say tougher guns laws do not decrease gun violence. We call BS. They say a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun. We call BS.

She’s just gotten a big feature story in Harper’s Bazaar. Here’s the link. She wrote it herself. Boy, are they media savvy.

Here’s the thing about teenagers. This generation gets trashed a lot by older folks, because they’re so electronically connected. They grew up with computers and cell phones and they’re great at using both. But like all teenagers, they also have an astonishing ability to see through grown-up BS. They know when grown-ups are lying; they see right through it. You can’t snow ’em. In fact, their phones and devices, I think, are about connecting, hence their astonishing emotional intelligence. I think they see more clearly than we did when I was younger.

And seeing how savvy and worst of all, how effective the kids were, the NRA and other spineless gun advocates began striking back. The kids were “crisis actors” trained to stage “false flag” events. They were on the George Soros payroll. The kids were great then too. Their next great spokesperson is a kid named David Hogg.

The only time you’re ever [doing] anything that actually matters is when people try stopping you. And that’s what’s going on here. These people trying to stop us are actually helping us out at lot, because my Twitter following has tripled over the past, like, day, essentially, and I think that’s in part because of these trolls. So for that I’m honestly kind of thankful.

Think this kid’s ever been in a Twitter feud, or a Facebook battle? He’s used to it. It doesn’t faze him. He knows what he stands for, he knows what he wants, and he’s great with social media. With humor, with facts, with intelligence and wit and courage, Hogg just does not back down. And banks are cutting their ties to the NRA. There’s even an edge of desperation to their spokespeople, what with Dana Loesch saying recently that liberals ‘love school shootings,’ and Wayne LaPierre going all Joseph Goebbels at CPAC (to wild applause). I mean, he was subtle about it. The code word was ‘socialism.’ It’s ‘socialists’ who oppose gun freedoms, which flow directly from God to His chosen people. Americans. Opposed by a triumverate of socialist anti-freedom billionaires–George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, Tim Steyer. Why those three? Because they’re Jewish? Because, Bill Gates also funds progressive causes, right? But Gates is goyim.

And Emma Gonzalez responded to the LaPierre speech: “The disgust I feel for the lies you’re promoting? With no consequences? Unsurpassed.” Spot on.

And don’t think the kids didn’t notice. They know how to position, and they know how to drive wedges. Student Cameron Kasky: “To those following our message, please remember the difference between the NRA as an organization and the members of the NRA. The vast majority of NRA members are decent people. Patriots. Our issue is not with them individually.” And that’s worth saying. They’re not targeting ordinary gun owners. They’re targeting the NRA leadership, and the supine members of Congress the NRA has purchased.

Kasky’s the kid who met with the President, btw, the kid who faced down Marco Rubio to his face, asking him straight out if he would refuse, then and there, to accept campaign donations from the NRA. And Rubio refused to, covering his cowardice with pol-talk, which Kasky also called him on. Kasky’s been very active on Twitter as well, and is completely fearless, responding to death threats with a cheery “So fun!” Adding “My amazing team is hard at work today. We’re here to protect you and your children whether you’re with us or against us. #NEVERAGAIN”

Neveragain is their hashtag, by the way. They’ve even come up with the best hashtag of the year.

Kasky met with the President: David Hogg’s sister, Lauren, called out the First Lady.

Hey @FLOTUS you say that your mission as First Lady is to stop cyber bullying, well then, don’t you think it would have been smart to have a convo with your step-son @DonaldJTrumpJr before he liked a post about a false conspiracy theory which in turn put a target on my back

Lauren Hogg, by the way, is fourteen.

These kids are my new heroes. They’re astonishing. They’re not giving up. They’ve called for a March on Washington, which will happen. They called for a spring break boycott of Florida, which I think will likely happen. They’re smart, they’re angry, they’re motivated, and they’re right. Never. Again.