The March for Our Lives wasn’t exactly the concern and care-fest that the fawning media made it out to be, and this was clearly evidenced, not just by the voices that used divisive anti-gun rhetoric while on stage, but more loudly by the voices who were not present.

Noticeably absent was Parkland student Kyle Kashuv, who has actually helped to get legislation passed that will help make our schools safer. His not being included is a massive signal that the march wasn’t really interested in hearing out those affected by the shooting directly, just in pushing a narrative using those who are willing to say the “right things.”

Kashuv is the largest and most obvious oversight, but it’s likely Kashuv knew he wouldn’t be invited to appear on that stage from the get-go. He and his peers are not friendly, and the more Kashuv accomplishes, the nastier they get.

But perhaps a little less known is the absent voice of Hunter Pollack, the big brother of slain student Autumn Pollack.

Recently, Hunter and the late Autumn’s father, Andrew Pollack, appeared alongside Kashuv in a powerful video released by the Daily Caller. In the video, Andrew tells the tale of how his daughter, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High, died heroically trying to defend a freshman girl by covering her body with her own.

According to the Daily Wire, Hunter asked to share the D.C. stage with his sister’s peers but was denied.

Apparently, like his father, Hunter doesn’t share the same anti-gun sentiment that the preferred students do and thus was rejected from appearing on the march’s platform.

“We got denied to speak at the march, so I’m not going to the march, I’m going to a lacrosse game,” claimed Meadow’s father, according to Daily Wire. “I guess he’s got a different agenda than their agenda so they denied him.”

“I was going to give a speech about Meadow and how devastated I am and how we need to make change, but they won’t allow me to put my voice out,” added Hunter.

March organizer Ryan Deitsch claims that Hunter is lying about being refused a speaking spot at the march according to NBC’s Local 10 News, but according to the Daily Wire, the evidence proves otherwise:

But text messages provided to DML News suggest otherwise. Hunter was told he could not speak at the event after he sent those in power his speech.

In text messages between Hunter and Deena Katz, a Hollywood producer spearheading large portions of the event, the 29-year-old was told they could figure out a way to fit him in the “show” after first being denied.

“At that point Katz gives in and says they’ll make it work, but she also demanded to see his speech,” reports DML.

Hunter sent his speech to Katz and an organizer named Julia. He was left in the dark for hours, he says.

At 11:40 p.m. on Friday night, hours before the march, Hunter was informed by Katz that he would not be permitted to speak at the event. The Hollywood producer cited a packed scheduled for her reasoning in denying the young man a chance to publicly honor his sister’s life. Hunter asked for a mere three minutes.

Hunter’s speech called for treating our schools the same way we do with any high-value locations; with armed security. He noted that her death was caused by a madman whose will to kill was far more powerful than the will to stop him.

But this was too off-message for the March for Our Lives. They want gun control and the NRA and Republicans punished. Hunter’s words have little use, and indeed run contrary to the established narrative. In fact, it runs powerfully contrary.

Below is the entire speech that Hunter had intended to give. The March for Our Lives campaign may deplatform voices that should be heard, but that shouldn’t stop the rest of us from spreading words like those from Hunter’s around.

From the Daily Wire:

“On Valentine’s Day I had my heart broken…. we all did… and there’s too much sad irony in that to ignore.

So, today, on this historic event in our nation’s capital with the entire world watching us — as they listen to every word we say — I want to speak about our broken hearts, and what we can do as a country to turn this heartbreak into a mission worth fighting for.

In my heart I know this is not a mission driven by politics, nor should it be dictated by the left or the right. This is not a mission specific to color, religion or economics, but rather, it’s a mission of love; it’s a mission of safety built upon a foundation filled with common sense, and fueled by a common denominator that can bring together every American across this great country.

The one common denominator we all share is a desire to LIVE… We all want to LIVE the greatest life possible.

My sister, Meadow Pollack, was living an amazing life filled with love, passion, dreams, family and fun. She had so much to offer this world, she had so much ahead of her — but — because WE as a school, and WE as a community, and WE as a society, and WE as a state, and WE as a nation failed to protect her — my baby sister is no longer part of this equation we call LIFE.

What pains me most is that her beautiful life was NOT lost to an incurable disease or a freak accident. She is gone because our schools are not safe. She is dead because the madness of one young man, and his determination to kill — was greater than our desire to stop him.
Remembering Meadow and the Parkland 17 is something we must all vow to here today. We must promise to take action each and every day until we protect the students of this country. We must protect our students and our schools in the same way we do the patrons at an NFL football stadium, and the passengers at an airport, and the diamonds in a jewelry store. We, the children of America, are the most valuable assets this nation has. Therefore, we hereby put all the leaders and parents of this country on notice. Today, we want you to put a value on our lives — and to protect us above all and everything else.

We, as the students of this country must take our anger, and our pain, and our desire to LIVE this LIFE to the fullest, and we must channel it into a mission that is obtainable — one that can be achieved without heavy debate — one that everyone can agree upon today, tomorrow, and for decades to come. We are Americans, we are the best and brightest — and so keeping our schools safe should not be a hard thing to do.

What happened at Parkland should have resulted in immediate action across America — but it has not. Two weeks ago a student in Utah tried blowing up a school with a bomb. And then this week in Maryland we lost another life in another school shooting. The weapons may be different, but the objective is the same, so we NEED to protect our schools from the killers who want to kill.

The hatred and sickness that fuels a killer to kill innocent students is something most of us will never understand, but that doesn’t mean it’s something we can ignore. We need to be on a mission to stop these monsters before they take action — we must demand our leaders help those who are sick, but we must also demand that they protect those of us who are not.

In closing, I ask you to say my sister’s name to yourself. It’s such a beautiful name…. MEADOW…. If you say her name, it’s impossible not to feel the beauty of who she was, and who she always will be. 

MEADOW… it makes me think of a sunny day, like this one. A day where the sun shines on our youth, and shines on our desire to LIVE a safe and happy LIFE.

I can feel MEADOW right now. She is asking us to come together. She wants us to thank the families and parents — like my dad Andrew —- and Mr Ryan Perry — and all the others who continue to fight for the rest of us to be safe. MEADOW is asking us to be smart, and to love, and to share the common denominator we share. Embrace LIFE, make the most of it… don’t let it be wasted.

To my sister MEADOW — who is up in heaven — I promise you here today that dad and me, along with millions of people at our side, will do our part in making schools safe so that this never happens again. We vow to protect America’s children in a way you should have been protected. We will keep them safe from the evil people and all the weapons they use. Until we meet again Meadow, I will miss you like crazy. I love you, we all love you. My you shine on us today, and every day going forward. Thank you.”