On Saturday March 24th,
2018, a student-organized ‘March For Our Lives’ event happened in Washington
D.C. and around the United States in sister cities in the wake of the horrific
school shooting that happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on
February 14, 2018.
After experiencing
another school shooting in our country, students of Stoneman Douglas created the #NeverAgain campaign. Because of the mass media attention, these
Stoneman Douglas students were in the spotlight. In spite of their shock and
grief, they became articulate, relentless activists against the hypocrisy of
our elected officials and the NRA gun lobby. They expressed their frustration
about how the government isn’t protecting our children with gun regulation
laws. Stoneman Douglas survivor activists led the country in Washington DC with
800,000 protesters coming out to show their support.
Former President Obama
said of these students, "You've helped awaken the conscience of
the nation. Young people have helped lead all our great movements. How
inspiring to see it again in so many smart, fearless students standing up for
their right to be safe; marching and organizing to remake the world as it
should be. We've been waiting for you. And we've got your backs."
I flew to Washington DC with
my FL friend, Llora Wonder, to support the younger generation and anyone who
wants responsible gun reform.
These school shootings,
and all gun violence, have been normalized. They shouldn’t be. Our schools
should not be ‘hardened’ by arming more teachers or staff. This is NOT who we
are as a country.
March For Our Lives
energized future voters to register. They want to hold politicians accountable (nationally
and statewide) to bring about reasonable gun reform, and to get NRA gun lobby
money out of politics.
Those that joined the Washington DC march, and sister marches all around the country, are concerned that the NRA lobby gets to determine what's best for our children and our schools. The NRA says our American schools and teachers and staff should be hardened with more guns. When did the Tobacco industry lobby get to decide what's best for our lungs?
It's insane that there are no CDC studies on the effects of trauma (emotional, psychological, and physical) from gun violence. No CDC studies have been allowed or funded on behalf of children and teacher wellness and wellbeing.
However, 800,000 students, kids, parents, teachers, (even gun owners) packed Pennsylvania Ave to communicate with their presence that the NRA does not get a vote; they are not American constituents.
My favorite part of the march was how students from every major school shooting were represented on stage at the march (Chicago, Newtown, LA, Maryland, etc.). It was a powerful intersectional representation of diversity and unity. Black and Hispanic students were invited to share their stories of gun violence too. The students of Parkland are aware that they get more attention in the media because of their social economic status, and because they are white. They call BS. They are all united by the horror of gun violence.
Just before it started, a student who came from Hartford University, 20-year-old James, looked around and said, “This is the largest pacifist rally.”
They took to the stage to tell America and politicians they will #VoteThemOut unless they give them the gun reform they demand. They are bold, brave, and believe in the power of WE the People. If there is any hope for our country, any hope to reduce school shootings and gun violence, it’s by the unified voices of Gen Z and young Millennials. Kids in hoodies are going to change the world.
All of the kids that
spoke on stage were the true celebrities. The crowd went crazier when Emma
Gonzalez walked confidently to the podium then when Ariana Grande began to
sing. Emma, one of the original Parkland survivors to speak out, used her words
to call BS just days after the shooting; it became a battle cry. At the March
For Our Lives, she used her silence to convey the time it took for the Parkland
shooter to massacre 17 people she cared about. For 5-minutes she stared
straight ahead. When I realized what she was doing, my heart sank. She was
remembering. Tears rolled down her face. Never before has “a moment of silence” turned into 6-minutes
and 20-seconds. Her eyes were fixed looking out to 800,000 people. It was on
live TV. Silence. We held space. Some started to chant, “Never again. Never again” as if to energetically
help Emma through. Emma did not break her gaze until the timer went off. It was
one of the most poignant moments of the entire March.
There were other moments that stood out too. Sam Fuentes was wounded during the shooting. Still in pain, Sam gave her impassioned speech. You could see it coming. Emotional. Shock. Adrenaline. She threw up behind the podium. The crowd once again held her up with love and chants as she rallied. She came back to the microphone and laughed, “I just threw up on international television, and it feels great!” Her speech was just as powerful as the last, “Join us or be on the side of history who prioritized their guns over the lives of others.” Before she left the stage, she asked the crowd to sing Happy Birthday to Nick Dworet, one of the 17 Parkland victims gunned down by an AR-15. He was shot in front of Sam.
It was not a party. It
was a protest.
The Parkland survivors
had so much love for each other. They had so much love for all those that
joined in their fight to heal our country from gun violence. It was incredible all
that they pulled off since February 14th. But they are social media
experts. This was a real-time civics lesson. They used their constitutional
right to Free Speech.
The MFOL kids did their
homework with statistics and excellent, persuasive video presentations. They
are credible voices as survivors of gun violence. They have a clear sense of
self-definition and purpose-highly intelligent and wise beyond their years. Nobody
needs to convince them they deserve to be heard. And they are resistant to any
rigid, controlling paradigms of authority. Get out of their way or they will
Tweet you into oblivion.
I support the younger generation and anyone
who wants responsible gun reform. And even though they are as ‘mad as hell and not going
to take it anymore’ they are reasonable and respectful. Young
voices of unspeakable trauma demanding politicians like Senator Marco Rubio
from Florida to do their jobs or get voted out.
Something has shifted.
Can you feel it? They are done hiding in closets or behind desks for the NRA or
Washington D.C.
I'm putting my energies
into their causes; they are the future. This isn't a partisan issue to them.
This younger generation doesn't remember James Brady. They may or may not know
much about Gabby Gifford. They haven't watched as long as I have to see the
painstakingly slow task of one person's single gun victimization try to change
laws over many administrations. But they have grown up doing gun-shooting
drills when I grew up doing tornado drills.
Marches are just engaged
citizens coming together in community to express and demand what needs to
change in our democracy. I march for responsible gun reform. I march for
Columbine, Newtown, Parkland, for all the towns that experience unnecessary gun
violence. I march for any town my grandchildren now live. I march for teachers
to be teachers.
As optimistic and
motivational as the MFOL was for the potential for real gun reform, legislation
takes time. In the meantime, there will be another school shooting. This will
happen again. And the MFOL kids will battle-ready the world to speak out,
march, and vote again until the politicians get it right.
Yolanda Renee King, the only granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr, ended the MFOL with these words, “My grandfather had a dream that his four little children would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream that enough is enough. That this should be a gun-free world. Period.” Of course, it reminded us all of the famous “I Have A Dream Speech.” Yolanda then led the crowd in a chant: “Spread the word. Have you heard? All across the nation, we are going to be a great generation.” Out of the mouth of babes.
The Marches are over. And
now we Vote!
For 'such a time as
this', honor them with action. Love on them now more then ever. Just like we
thank volunteers, soldiers, teachers, or officers for their service, thank all
of our next generation voters and remind them they are the future. Help these
kids get to the polls.
