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THE BIRTH OF MARCH FOR OUR LIVES

Written by March for Our Lives Sequoia Union

In February of 2018, a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Fifty-eight minutes after the first shot, 17 people were declared dead. The series of following events led to a national outcry protesting the gun violence that heartlessly claimed the lives of so many. This was the birth of March for Our Lives. Through social services, March for Our Lives demands bold action to end the gun violence epidemic that has plagued America. In March of 2018, March for Our Lives was founded by the survivors of the Parkland shooting. Since then, the organization has grown into a nationwide demonstration featuring the next generation of young activists. Today, Nikolas Cruz is charged with 17 counts of capital murder and 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder. However, Mr. Cruz's life sentence is not justice. The Stoneman Douglas High School shooting empowered young activists to advocate for common-sense gun legislation with the formation of March for Our Lives to alleviate the American gun violence epidemic.

In Parkland, the students pave the agenda. Their openness about the pain made them promising leaders for gun reformation. Their misery and publicized strength compelled the nation already numbed by violence. In the weeks following the massacre, crowds of Stoneman Douglas students took their agony to the Florida capital and Washington. With their plea of "Never Again," they rallied the support of people across the nation, and their March for Our Lives campaign propelled massive protests. The students' cries reached the White House, prompting President Trump to restrict gun access and protect schools. These initiatives advanced youth activism to a new age, deploying global power in social media for accountability.

Three months after the tragedy, ten people were shot in another school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. With outrage to resolve, the students at Stoneman Douglas consoled victims suffering from the trauma. Stoneman Douglas' parents were furious by the gross incompetence of law enforcement officials in handling the Parkland shooting. Videos exhibited deputies avoiding entrance to the building as the attack unfolded. Other sheriffs prevented paramedics from arriving on scene. Multiple officers were suspended because of this. A year later, governor Ron Desantis of Florida arrested Sheriff Scott Israel for his "neglect of duty." Furthermore, the district had missed several warnings leading up to the event. The parents of two students who lost their children decided to run for the school board to fix what went wrong. In the case of Mr. Cruz, there were many alarming signs, including his expulsion, fascination with guns, and repeated reports to the police from his mother. Eventually, school counselors expressed interest in performing a psychiatric evaluation on Mr. Cruz, only to be dismissed the next day. Unforgettably, numerous reports to the Federal Bureau of Investigation were left uninvestigated.

At the time, no laws in Florida forbade Mr. Cruz from purchasing a deadly weapon. More than a year later, the state passed a gun control bill to grant law enforcement with judicial approval to intervene when a person is deemed dangerous to own a firearm. According to The Associated Press, Florida courts witnessed more than 1,000 such orders in the first nine months. Eight other states pursued similar approaches, establishing "red flag" laws to remove weapons from erratic occupants. From caps on magazines and bans on bump stocks to new minimum-age requirements, state legislatures have passed 76 gun control laws within the following year. Among them was a bill that raised the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21 in Florida. Conclusively, more than 25 states passed at least one gun control measure in 2018. Simultaneously, fewer states expanded gun rights compared to previous years. Information provided by the National Rifle Association indicated that the number of enacted gun control restrictions outnumbered pro-gun restrictions for the first time in six years.

In the aftermath, the House of Representatives prioritized gun safety, with the Judiciary Committee passing two gun-control bills that strengthened background checks. In the days after Parkland, campuses across the nation implemented an array of safety measures, including requiring students to carry clear backpacks, hiring armed guards, and arming teachers with bats. Many schools installed metal detectors and cameras or hired companies to monitor social media for threats.

In conclusion, gun violence prevention has become increasingly critical in society. Gun violence prevention "systematically reduces risks and increases resilience in individuals, families, and communities." It is essential to recognize that gun violence is an epidemic and disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities. Over the long term, addressing the root causes, such as housing insecurity, economic instability, educational disparities, environmental injustice, gentrification, and racism, is crucial. Supporting community planning and comprehensive safety plans that include intervention is ideal. Providing mental health outlets that assist individuals socially, emotionally, and mentally will guarantee a peaceful tomorrow.

Since the day of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, people who have suffered due to gun violence are now campaigning for their lives. "Fight for your lives before it's someone else's job."

References

1. Ashley Fetters. "What It's Like to Go Back to School After a Shooting." The Atlantic, February 14, 2019. <https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/02/when-parkland-students-returned-school/582835/>

2. Audra Burch, Patricia Mazzei. "Death Toll Is at 17 and Could Rise in Florida School Shooting." The New York Times, February 14, 2018. <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/14/us/parkland-school-shooting.html>

3. Jennifer Harlan, Margaret Kramer. "Parkland Shooting: Where Gun Control and School Safety Stand Today." The New York Times, February 13, 2019. <https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/13/us/parkland-shooting.html>

4. John McCall. "17 killed in mass shooting at high school in Parkland, Florida." ABC News, February 14, 2018. <https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/police-respond-shooting-parkland-florida-high-school-n848101>