On March 24th, thousands of people across the United States and around the world marched together as an effort to bring awareness to ending gun violence. This event sparked the interests of young children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly. An event that brought thousands of diverse people together serves as a powerful reminder that no one is alone in this fight for more gun control.
March For Our Lives is not just one moment in this fight, but rather the beginning of a movement. It is the beginning of change, and it is the beginning of my generation taking a stand and fighting for all victims affected by gun violence. The argument persists that this won’t change anything and that everyone who participated in this march won’t be able to bring about positive change, but I say that those who present this argument are wrong.
This march a way for people’s voices to be heard while peacefully protesting. Seeing such large groups unite for a common cause creates a feeling of hope. Seeing the speakers at the march that shared their experiences creates a feeling of hope. And lastly, knowing that I was a part of something so powerful creates a feeling of hope within me. Because of the teenagers fueling this movement, I have hope for change. I have hope for the future children of America.
Violence of any kind has no place in America’s schools or public places. For those who say this march is about taking away all guns, you're wrong. Imagine yourself, or someone you love dearly, being faced in a school building with the ultimatum of never returning home. No one should wake up in the morning and believe that morning could be their last because of a senseless act of gun violence.
Schools should be safe places to facilitate learning, not places where students are so easily killed. When hearing about acts of gun violence in schools, I feel ashamed. I feel ashamed that our country, one of the most-developed countries is the world, isn’t actively taking precautions to prevent these tragedies from happening again. I feel ashamed that innocent lives are being taken at the expense of allowing typical civilians to easily purchase weapons of war.
We’re doing this for all of the victims of gun violence, for those who have lost a loved one to gun violence, and for those who have the fear of becoming a victim of gun violence due to the lack of change in our country. This is all for you. Too many lives have been lost because of gun violence; don’t these lives mean anything?
The March For Our Lives is a away to bring about meaning to the lives lost as a result of gun violence. It is a way to remember those that we have lost and to bring about to change to limit the amount of future losses we may have to prepare for.
Human lives have more value than guns, and it’s time to realize this.