On March 24th, 2018, I headed to Washington, DC with my aunt and sister. We had planned a weekend of concert-going and family time, and we had the unexpected privilege of being part of March For Our Lives. Here are some things I noticed that I found noteworthy:
People of all ages were in attendance.
As I sat in the lobby of our hotel, I saw the old, the young, and everyone in between. Age was but a number when it came to this march. Young children wore expressive T-shirts and buttons, toted homemade signs, and walked alongside their parents to be a part of a piece of history that they don't yet know the importance of.
Parents clung to their kids as they left, most likely praying that this type of violence would never take place in their child's school, but fully knowing that it could. Grandmothers and grandfathers came, too, though they never even thought of mass killings happening when they were young. College students, middle-aged adults, teenagers, and everyone of every age was there — this affects us all.
There was an immense feeling of unity.
This movement is so powerful and important that it brought people in from all over the nation. I watched in both awe and heartbreak at the crowds of individuals who want to fight for a better and safer tomorrow.
I was a part of a march that should never have had to happen in the first place. It wouldn't be happening if it weren't for extreme gun violence and some very sick individuals. I observed firsthand the unity and how we connected with a group of people from all backgrounds, races, and religions for one purpose.
There are still good people and good things left in this world.
For such an unfortunate and inhumane subject, there was nothing but love and compassion between the flood of people. We stood together, listening to music, screaming chants, and knowing that we were on the right side of history. Of course, we also listened to gut-wrenching speeches together, felt the sadness and disbelief of the Parkland students, and thought about how the hell we got here.
It's so easy to believe that the world is cruel when events such as the Parkland shooting — or any mass shooting — takes place. Attacks such as these occur almost every single day. It's the new normal. The world is, in fact, cruel, but the number of people coming together is so powerful to witness. There is good left. But we must use this good to fight for common sense gun laws, even if those laws could help save just one person.
"No one could comprehend the devastating aftermath or how far this would reach, or where this would go." "For those who still can't comprehend because they refuse to, I'll tell you where it went: right into the ground, six feet deep."
-Emma Gonzalez
#neveragain
