The stage, courts, and Congress are all being utilized by the father of a Parkland shooting victim in an effort to alter gun laws in the United States. Manuel Oliver’s son, Joaquin, was killed in the mass shooting that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in 2018.
Joaquin, whom his peers referred to as “Guac,” was a senior in high school when he and sixteen others tragically perished mere months before their commencement. He was a huge fan of the Miami Heat and Dwayne Wade, who was transferred by the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline and returned to the Heat on February 9, 2018.
Joaquin succumbed to his injuries following four gunshot wounds, a mere five days following the return of Wade. Later, Wade utilized social media to pay tribute to Joaquin, who was interred in his jersey. “This is why we shall not simply dribble while SHUTUP!” the NBA sensation wrote.
After the death of their son, Manuel and his wife, Patricia, have also refused to remain silent and have devoted considerable time and effort to revising gun laws nationwide. The couple, who immigrated to the United States from Venezuela when Joaquin was three years old, have participated in protests and delivered speeches, but in particular have utilized art to spread their message.
Manuel exhibited a mural bearing the inscription “We Demand a Change,” which depicted his son, in the “Parkland 17” exhibition assembled by Wade, in less than a month following the gunshot incident.
“Happy Birthday” was the song Manuel sang from outside the National Rifle Association offices on August 18, the month his son had turned 18 at the time.
On the occasion of the shooting’s fourth anniversary, he scaled a gantry in the nation’s capital and displayed a banner featuring a photograph of his son alongside the inscription “45000 People Killed From Gun Violence Under Your Watch” directed at President Biden.
Presently, Manuel is conveying his message through an alternative artistic medium, namely, the stage. This month marked his arrival in New York City, where he will perform “Guac: The One Man Show” at the Theater Row Studio Theater in Manhattan.
“What is the appropriate course of action following the loss of a son?” The synopsis of the play states, “Take it from Manuel Oliver, the father of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver: you must do what you do best.” “Fearless, funny, and pulling zero punches, GUAC is a one-man tour-de-force about a father turned activist, his undying love for his son, and the story of an immigrant family in search of the American Dream only instead to be confronted by a uniquely American Nightmare.”
The theatrical production is showcased in conjunction with ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence, a Fractured Atlas-sponsored initiative that emphasizes adolescent-written plays that address the issue of gun violence in light of the escalating incidence of school massacres.
All of these demonstrations are affiliated with Change the Ref, an organization founded by Manuel and Patricia in the wake of their son’s passing. The purpose of Change the Ref is to employ “urban art and nonviolent creative confrontation to advocate for the eradication of the gun violence epidemic and to expose elected officials who are bought and paid for by the NRA and gun manufacturers.”
Manuel, who supports the utilization of firearms beyond the realm of art, was detained in March alongside Patricia for causing a disturbance during a congressional hearing on the subject.
Then, he initiated legal proceedings against the government earlier this month. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, an autonomous legal entity of the Organization of American States, received the petition in Joaquin Oliver v. USA. The lawsuit charges that the government violated human rights law by failing to safeguard the right of individuals to be free from gunfire and by negligently causing the death of Joaquin.
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