Millennials and centennials are the voice of the future, and instead of sitting idle after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018, they are marching to Washington and demanding that their voices are heard. Although it has been a month since the school shooting that took the lives of Alyssa Alhadeff, Scott Beigel, Martin Duque, Nicholas Dworet, Aaron Feis, Jaime Guttenberg, Chris Hixon, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pallock, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup, and Peter Wang, students across the nation have been anything but silent.

These students have not only faced a massacre, they have also faced backlash and ridicule for standing up against gun violence and forcing politicians to either stand up with them or find themselves in an uncomfortable predicament come midterm elections. The time when school shootings would eventually puddle out of media presence until another devastating event would occur is over.

Survivors of the Stoneman Douglas shooting have created a foundation called Never Again MSD, a primarily student-led organization that advocates for tighter regulations to prevent gun violence. They are using their voices to say we don’t want your prayers, we want your action. Prayers cannot bring back the 17 victims who lost their lives, but action can prevent this situation from happening again.

I remember the first time a shooting impacted my life, and I wasn’t even there to endure the horrors of the situation. The sad part is, there are too many examples to predict which shooting that could have been. Mass shootings happen way too often in a country that is highly focused on securing its borders when the biggest threat to Americans aren’t immigrants or even refugees, but homegrown terrorists in the United States.

The March for Our Lives petition has also been established as a result of the Stoneman Douglas shooting and has found its way into every major city in the United States. On March 24, 2018, families of victims of gun violence, survivors, and those who agree that America needs tougher gun laws will take the streets to demand reform. Here is the link to the March for Our Lives website, where you can donate, get involved, and educate yourself on what their mission statement is: https://marchforourlivespetition.com.

The survivors have also been proactive in politically engaging students from across the country. A month after the Parkland Massacre, the conversation on gun reform has not stopped. On March 14, 2018, there was a nationwide walkout involving thousands of high school students across the United States. Some of which stood independently from their peers and faced academic punishment as a result of using their voice. The walkout, which also faced criticism, was designed to keep the conversation going and show the support of the 17 victims who lost their lives on February 14, 2018.

Marching is not the only thing these students are doing to get their voices heard. They have also invited higher-up politicians like Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan to have conversations about constitutional rights and gun violence in America, and even challenged the spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association (NRA), Dana Loesch, on what the NRA is doing to prevent mentally ill people from getting their hands on military grade weapons.

As a result of their action, companies such as Dicks Sporting Goods, L.L. Bean, and Walmart with the exception of many more, have lifted the age to buy weapons to 21 years old. Dicks Sporting Goods has also said they will stop selling military grade weapons, such as AR-15’s that have been used to carry out mass killings, in their retail stores and online. Although these changes may seem minor in comparison to the lengths left to go to prevent gun violence from penetrating our nation again, they are the first steps towards change and these kids have built the conversation around it.

There is much left to be done and said, but no matter what side of the political spectrum you lie on, it is evident that ALL children are potential victims of gun violence. The second amendment is an important part of American history and the United States Constitution, but there are limitations that need to be expanded to make sure that mentally ill people are not able to get their hands on military-grade weapons in order to prevent future tragedies like the Stoneman Douglas Massacre. Gun reform is not the only solution, but it is a step towards protecting the lives of millions of Americans, and it is justice for the 13,000 average victims of gun violence each year in the United States: (source: https://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-by-the-...)

Here are some of the faces of our future, and survivors of the Stoneman Douglas Massacre, read about them:

David Hogg

Cameron Kasky

Jaclyn Corin

Emma González

Sarah Chadwick

Delaney Tarr

Ryan Deitsch