On March 14th, one month after the Parkland shooting, our school came together to say enough to gun violence. Together we participated in the walkout for gun control. It was a remarkable coming together for a cause. Over the past months, our country has seen many of these protests in light of acts of gun violence, specifically in schools, as was seen in Parkland, Florida where 34 students and faculty were shot at Stoneman Douglas High School. Of those 34 victims, 17 died. Those in the Parkland community have rallied around the cause of gun control. Students have traveled to the Florida State Legislature and even to Washington D.C in order to implore congressmen to enact new laws to prevent these tragedies.
Our school was one of more than 2,500 schools that participated in the 17-minute march on March 14 in honor of the 17 people who died in Parkland. As students, it is imperative that we understand the danger of guns. Unfortunately, schools, a place of supposed safety, have been one of the most common targets of these deadly shooting. “I believe that as students we should feel safe in our schools. The fact that we are threatened by violence in a place that should be safe is an outrage,” says Roshana S. ‘19. From Columbine to Sandy Hook, schools have been a prime target for these acts of violence from both students and outsiders. When it is young children who are the victims of this violence, all people, no matter their age or lack of relation to victims, are affected. More recently, it has been students and young people at the center of these protests. Students from Parkland have been at the heart of this grassroots movement, organizing protests, walkouts and giving interviews to reporters.
While Congress is at a standstill on the issue of gun control, it seems that many residents are at a mutual understanding that safety is of the utmost importance. The walkout was followed by the March for Our Lives on Saturday on March 24. Both marches were not confined to United States borders but had international participation as well as immense support within the US. Paul McCartney was one of the many celebrities who participated in the march. Both Marches perfectly demonstrated the country’s determination to protect our citizens from gun violence