Saturday March 24, 2018 is a day for the history books. Early statistics are saying that the March For Our Lives is the largest attended rally in history. This is more inspiring than words can say. These students who experienced likely the worst trauma of their young lives have chose to stand up against it and say enough is enough. They didn’t just accept the thoughts and prayers offered to them. They didn’t just talk about what needs to be different. They actually stood up against it.
These teens are the powerful leaders of tomorrow, proving that if you are old enough to be impacted by something, than you are old enough to advocate against it.
These teens are doing the things that most of us are afraid to do. They are taking a stand for what they believe is right and not letting their age, the politics, or the grandiosity of the issue stop them. Watching the coverage from March For Our Lives brings me tears because I am in awe of the courage these young adults have.
The courage and resilience they show when speaking is moving. They are supporting each other through a devastating, unspeakable tragedy while also standing up for monumental changes. It is inspiring to see that they are not only tackling the issue of gun violence but that they are educating about voter turnout in order to bring about change. Some were no older than 11 yet they speak with more poise, tact, and passion than most adults I know.
It’s impossible to choose a most powerful moment from Saturday because there were so many. All you have to do is look to google, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to see the powerful signs carried by people all over the world. Also, the fact that March For Our Lives didn’t just happen in Washington is a powerful moment in itself. According to news reports, more than 800 places around the world joined the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to spread the message that never again should a student die in a school shooting or at the hands of guns intended for military personnel.
I am inspired, excited, and hopeful as I witness this shift for the future as these teens continue spreading their message with their collective power to ignite change.
therealvanessamarie.wordpress.com 
I’m very proud and inspired by their courage. Standing up is a choice and they have chosen. Thanks for sharing their message of hope and change.
LikeLiked by 1 person
When it comes to the March For Our Lives movement, although I do believe that these students are courageous for standing up for what they believe in and fighting for gun reform, I have also noticed that pro black groups such as Black Lives Matter, and many organizations before them, who have called for gun reform, have not and do not receive nearly as much POSITIVE coverage and support from the media and the public. Having said that, I get the feeling that the teens themselves, on some level are aware of this and have made an effort for black people to be represented by giving MLK’s 9 year old granddaughter Yolanda Renee King and another 11 year old black girl named Naomi Wadler, a chance to speak.
LikeLike
You are right and it is unfortunate that the Black Lives Matter movements did not receive the same media attention. I personally feel that they know that. I can see it in the way they speak, the things they say and do and their mission. Before the March For Our Lives, the group met with student from Chicago. In a series of tweets, she said:
Yesterday, the members of @AMarch4OurLives got to meet up with some of the most wonderful and most strong spoken students of Chicago. “Florida’s safest city” and one of the cities in America most affected by gun violence came together to share stories, ideologies, and pizza. Those who face gun violence on a level that we have only just glimpsed from our gated communities have never had their voices heard in their entire lives the way that we have in these few weeks alone. Since we all share in feeling this pain and know all too well how it feels to have to grow up at the snap of a finger, we were able to cover a lot of ground in communicating our experiences. People of color in inner-cities and everywhere have been dealing with this for a despicably long time, and the media cycles just don’t cover the violence the way they did here. The platform us Parkland Students have established is to be shared with every person, black or white, gay or straight, religious or not, who has experienced gun violence, and hand in hand, side by side, We Will Make This Change Together. Emma Gonzalez is aware of the oppression many people face because she herself faces it but she also acknowledges her privilege as well in talking about she grew up where she did. I hope we will see the media shift change.
LikeLike
These are strong, brave students who have had enough of waiting for change and are taking it into their own hands. The world will be a safer place because of them.
LikeLike