In the midst of one too many mass shootings in schools in America, it has now come to our youth, our youngest members of society to rise up, and create the safe space for themselves that has been neglected for so long.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, occurring on Valentine’s Day, February 14 of this year, has marked the eighteenth school shooting in 2018. Five of these school shootings has resulted in victims being wounded, injured, or killed after a gun was discharged.
We shouldn’t have a tally of how many school shootings we’ve had, yet sadly…
It seems as though our leaders, the ones that should be there to take nothing but initiative in this situation, have become too caught up in the issue of gun control, its relationship with the Second Amendment, and whether or not laws placing “restrictions” or harsher background checks on those wishing to purchase certain guns would in fact be in opposition to the Second Amendment, which reads:
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
The controversy surrounding this statement, what it really means (because even the Library of Congress notes on its website that “the meaning of this sentence is not self-evident.”) and the issue of protecting the amendment while protecting families, communities, and children who are now forced to become sitting ducks, complacent in the lack of control against a tragedy that keeps hurting, that keeps separating, that keeps returning only to be met with “our thoughts and prayers are with you and all of the grieving individuals”. Thoughts and prayers alone cannot return children back to their families.
As our leaders continue to scramble with their own conflicts with one another, our youth has taken initiative into their own hands.
A planned demonstration entitled, “March for Our Lives” is scheduled to take place on March 24, 2018, particularly in Washington D.C. and throughout the U.S. A junior at the school, Cameron Kasky, and his classmates, along with survivors of the shooting, Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg, created the march and will be vocal supporters of the march.
(My hometown, Augusta, Georgia, plans to be one of the locations that some form of the march would take place in.)
Many celebrities and organizations have offered support to the cause, including, Amal and George Clooney, Justin Bieber, Gucci, Lauren Jauregui, and Hayley Williams. As many as 500,000 people are projected to attend the march.
What does this say about our leaders? Why is it youth that always decides to take action, to speak out, to choose not to be complacent with the lax of our government?
History repeats itself.
In 1963, it was black high school students who marched in Birmingham, Alabama in the Birmingham Campaign, who called for change and faced violent retribution when peacefully calling for change, the end of segregation laws.
Will history repeat itself and meet these high school students with violent confrontation?
May your “thoughts and prayers” be with these young high school students as they take initiative, through their pain and loss and fear. Pray for strength. Be there for them. March with them. Support their cause. Feel their pain and loss and let that inspire you to take action.
Let the youth inspire you in this time where as our leaders act like children, our children become leaders.