Gun control has been serious issue over the past couple of months in the Unites States. Especially, the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida, brought all of us to the floor with grief. People decided that it was time to make a change, a time to give school students the protection we deserve from gun violence, and that brought along the country-wide movement of the March for our Lives.
March for Our Lives in Atlanta, Georgia was a mile and a half march from the Civic Center in Downtown Atlanta to the Georgia State Capitol. Over 20,000 people gathered to take a stand against gun violence and advocate for the safety of students like me at schools.
To be honest, I was never really informed or involved in public issues, but this one caught my attention. I think it was because it can personally affect me. I decided that I could take a stand with fellow students and citizens of Georgia to protect students in schools from guns. I marched with four of my best friends, and the entire time, we walked for a straight hour with our arms linked together in unity.
In the few months of 2018, the United States has experienced 11 school shootings, with at least 130 students and faculty killed, along with 254 injured, making it the worst year on record for school shootings. Tragedies like these should not be a common occurrence, and I know we would all hope for them to never happen at all. T
he recent shooting in Parkland, Florida at Stoneman Douglas High School has personally affected people I know, and I will not stand for that without trying to do something. I don't want myself, my friends or my family being so personally affected by something has horrible as this.
When everyone met at the Civic Center, there were multiple motivational speakers coming up to express their personal experiences with school shootings and their goals for gun control throughout the nation. This was led by two teens, which was much more than inspiring. There were teens from schools throughout the state sharing their creative poems and singing songs to share grief and express their feelings.
SEE ALSO: Fighting For Gun Control Is More Than Just A Fight To Restrict Weapons
While I was walking, I felt united with everyone there, sharing a common belief in wanting to control gun violence. This topic has become so important to me, and I think another reason that is, is because last semester in my literature class, we read "Columbine" by Dave Cullen, and it was a very detailed account of the Columbine High School shooting and the effects of the tragic event.
This march made me feel empowered and strong, that a single person like me and all of the others around me can make a difference just from taking a stand for something they believe in. One person isn't too small to make a difference.
I marched for me. I marched for you. I marched for us.
