Why I’m marching against gun violence
Every time I walk into school, a question enters the back of my mind: Will something terrible happen to us today? Most of the time, this question stays in the background. But in the days after the murder of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., I’ve been thinking about it a lot.
I was 14 years old on the day of the shooting — the same age as seven of the murdered students. I also have classmates who knew the victims. So this shooting hit close to home.
I was hopeful that Parkland would spark people to take action, but I also knew the road ahead would be hard. My dad, John Feinblatt, is president of Everytown for Gun Safety, the nation’s largest gun violence prevention organization. So I know how tough it is to beat the National Rifle Association.
Like many of my friends, I’ve been keeping a close eye on the news, looking for signs of progress. Right after the shooting, it seemed like America was falling into the same old pattern — a few days after the last funeral, everyone would move on.
However, it soon became clear that something had changed. The Parkland students weren’t ready to change the subject; they were ready to change history.
The students took to their home turf of social media to demand answers from lawmakers. Emma Gonzalez, a high school senior who started her Twitter account four days after surviving the shooting, now has more followers than the NRA.
Anyone who thinks this student-led movement is just child’s play should know we’re also waging this campaign in the real world.
Before the Stoneman Douglas shooting, the NRA had Florida on lockdown. But after survivors and their supporters flooded the state capital, lawmakers passed stronger gun laws. All of a sudden the impossible was possible, thanks in large part to students taking action.
Even as students, families and teachers are doing everything we can to protect ourselves, our leaders in Washington haven’t stepped up.
That’s not going to cut it this time. So on Saturday, the students of Parkland will lead a March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C.
These young activists will be supported by more than 750 student-led marches in communities across the country. I’m very proud of Everytown for Gun Safety, my dad’s organization, for supporting the local marches. I will march in New York City with my dads and my sister.
Our message to lawmakers is simple: If you’re willing to put our lives in dangers, then we’re going to put your jobs in danger.
Our demand is straightforward: Pass common-sense gun safety legislation. A good starting point is requiring a criminal background check on all gun sales. These checks are supported by 97% of Americans, so it shouldn’t be hard for politicians to get on board.
On Saturday, we will march for the 17 killed in Parkland.
We will march for the 96 Americans every day who are killed by a gun.
We will march for the 50 women every month who are shot to death by an intimate partner.
And we will not stop pushing forward until politicians decide to value our lives more than gun maker profits.
I turned 15 this week, so I’ll be able to vote in three years — and I’m watching which leaders are supporting smart gun laws.
That doesn’t mean I’m waiting for my 18th birthday to make a difference. Over the last few weeks, I participated in my school’s walkout to honor the victims of gun violence. I led a school-wide protest. I performed a spoken-word poem about gun violence. I also created a toolkit for expanding the gun safety movement at my school.
My classmates and I plan to keep up this work long after Saturday. Fear can make you fail, or it can make you fierce — and it’s pretty clear which way my generation is leaning. Now we need the adults in our lives to have our backs. If we all work together, we can build a future where everyone feels safe.