During my morning commute on both March 13 and 14, I witnessed middle school students in Maryland starting their march toward the Silver Spring Metro station. They were heading to the White House and the U.S. Capitol. My Metrobus driver pointed them out because he was proud of his own kid taking part and standing up for what they believe.
They walked out of school in conjunction with students across America to protest in favor of gun control. This group didn’t have many signs, but the mass number of children marching across the nation has an obvious message: #ProtectUs.
Democracy has been re-energized by these young citizens. The first march I saw was on February 21 in response to the Valentine’s Day massacre—one year and one month into the presidency of Donald J. Trump. They were begging for protection after another tragic, life-altering, senseless slaughter in our schools. A dastardly, cowardly act.
More marches are planned for this month and on into April. Our children want results. On March 24, the children of the world will protest gun violence. There is a major demonstration planned here in the nation’s capital, and there are reportedly 700 “sibling” marches scheduled internationally on that same date.
May God’s blessings be upon all the children on Earth!
To plan the murder of innocents in a sacred place is barbaric. (As a teacher, I consider all educational institutions sacred.) Their minds are on their lessons, friends, plans for lunch or what to wear to the party on Saturday night. Not one child is thinking “Someone is going to kill me today.” If they had thought that, I’m sure they would have stayed home.
Our children are afraid. Time and time again these horrible acts have been covered by the news media with with mini biographies of the shooters. The attention on the victims becomes secondary as we huddle to come up with explanations and new gun laws. If the shooters cared about laws, they would never have gone into a “Gun Free Zone” with a gun.
Our children deserve our protection with solutions that inspire good teachers to remain on the job, without fear that they too will have to become a human shield one day. They deserve to sit in class feeling safe so they can focus on their studies. Most of all, they deserve the security of knowing that they do not have to take matters into their own hands by bringing weapons to school to protect themselves.
The adults have been creating reruns of their fights with the NRA. Lets go where the shooters go, to the classrooms of America, with real plans and real solutions that will stop these cowards who kill kids and teachers.
Our president has asked the American people to offer suggestions to this overwhelming problem. Please feel the zeal that the children of the world have for making our lives safer. Let them know we care about what is happening to them and, more importantly, how these horrible acts make them feel. #WeStandWithYou!
