In late March, I trekked to DC with some friends to attend the March for Our Lives. There were a lot of logistical ambiguities with our trip, especially with traffic to and from DC, our housing for the night before the rally, and the threat of being in such a large crowd. I don’t consider myself to be a very nervous person, but these 24ish hours were pretty daunting to me. I felt strongly enough though about the reasons behind the March so I wanted to go so I could be surrounded by people who felt the same way as I did about gun laws.
When we made our way through the crowds and the performances/speeches began, all my worries went away. The speakers from Parkland expressed their deep sadness about the tragic events that took place in their town, and they all demanded for stricter gun laws in their state and in the rest of the country. The performances enhanced their messages—ensuring that this fight is one worth pursuing. Others reassured the crowds that although the fight will be arduous and sometimes disappointing, we must persevere and keep pushing our lawmakers.
It was so powerful being surrounded by people my age and younger, from all over the country, coming together for a common purpose. I feel empowered, revitalized, and more educated on the topic of gun reform after attending the DC rally. I hope this rally isn’t just a rally, but that it sparks something within our legislators who decide that we need change so schools are a safe place for us to learn and nothing else.