OPINION | Barry Richard: Nation’s Youth Need to Stay Engaged

People from all walks of life turned out for 'March For Our Lives' events all across the country over the weekend. Some even knew why they were there and were not paid by recruiters to attend.

Seriously, I think it's wonderful that young people have gotten engaged in the political process, and I hope they stay there. I don't agree with a lot of what is being said or the focus of the protests, but I support freedom of speech and appreciate a good debate. Some young political stars are being born as a result of this movement, and new young voters are being drawn into the system. It's refreshing.

My only regret about the weekend events is that they were largely driven by the media and financed by the political machine on the left. Hollywood stars and people named Soros just can't seem to keep their fingers off the process. As a result, it becomes tainted and viewed as nothing more than a clown-fest by serious observers.

Why did the media try to inflate the crowd size at the D.C. event?

Time will tell whether this movement gains steam or peters out, as so many in the past have. I do hope that young people remain serious about preserving their generation and take a serious look at the real threats to their survival, including distracted driving and opioid-related drug overdoses.

If kids are seriously concerned about gun violence, they need look no further than the inner cities like Chicago where more kids die in a year than have died in all of the school shootings in the last ten years.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.