A Father's Mural Honors Parkland Victims In Downtown LA
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A father who lost his son in the Parkland, Florida school shooting demanded change as he erected a mural in memory of victims in Los Angeles Saturday.
Manuel and Patricia Oliver's lives changed forever after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, when they lost their son, Joaquin.
Los Angeles is the third stop for the mural created by Manuel that honors the shooting victims. It will be on display at The Standard hotel in downtown L.A. through Friday, from noon to 8 p.m. each day.
"Joaquin, he is still out there with a loud voice fighting for his rights," Manuel said to a crowd after creating the artwork. "Now he is not marching for his life, he is marching for your life. So please stay strong."
David Hogg, the 17-year-old who has become a spokesperson for his classmates at Stoneman Souglas High, was at the unveiling.
Hogg grew up in Torrance and moved to Florida three years ago. He has been pushing for political change for two months now and says it's not easy to be a teen in the spotlight.
"It's been kind of stressful but it's also been exhilarating," Hogg said. There aren't really words to describe it because we are really trying to find hope out of such a tragedy where we are trying to change America for the better to save people's lives."
How long will the process take for America to change?
"It could take decades. Change is slow. It always has been, it always will be," Hogg continued, urging, "But we need to be persistent. You need to get out and vote."
