Justina Demetry and Jalen Worstell
March for Our Lives was a student-led event nationwide in major cities on March 24 with an agenda about fighting for stronger gun control. The march in Massachusetts from 11:00AM took place in Boston on the Boston Commons from 11:00 AM to 5:00PM.
A few of us from WHS chose to participate in the march; we found it both touching and inspiring. It was an amazing feeling to be surrounded by students from all over Massachusetts and some from bordering states–all protesting for the same thing.
As students we were fighting for all the children and adults who lost their lives during shootings in the United States. Not one more child or adult should lose their lives to a gun. Students across the country are living in fear, worrying if they’ll make it through the school day alive. At the march, tons of us students were worried that a counter protester could do something life threatening. We shouldn’t have to live with that mentality.
One of our favorite moments was hearing everyone chant: “Show me what democracy looks like!” and people would respond with “This is what democracy looks like!”
We are fortunate to be in a country that gives us freedom of speech and assembly, so that we can fight for our lives and others’ lives.
Seeing the incredible and creative posters that people held was so heartwarming. Thousands of students held posters that showed how fed up they were with some government officials receiving money from the NRA (National Rifle Association).
We held posters that said “Books not bullets” and “I should be finishing essays not starting my will.”
One poster that really caught our attention that a little girl was holding read “Show me my life matters.” It broke our hearts that even kids so little had to go through this aftermath with us. No one that young should have to worry about gun violence; they should be worrying about their spelling tests or learning their multiplication tables–not what guns are and how they can hurts millions.
We saw lots of adults crying and that moved us to think that they have to worry about if their child will come home from school or not. Hundreds of adults held posters that said “Proud of you kids” or “Listen to the kids.” Many parents and teachers marched with us.
At the rally, there was music playing for students to sing and dance before some students from Parkland, Fl talked to us. We felt a little confused with the music because we thought it wasn’t really something where we should be having a fun time. We thought we should be focusing on the topic; however, one of the speakers reminded us that we should be proud and celebrating at times because we have the choice to stand up for what we believe in and to be the difference.
