Since Jan. 2014, 49 months have passed and only six of those months have passed without a school shooting occurring somewhere in the United States. The shooting that took place in Parkland, Florida this past February is in the top ten deadliest mass shootings in our country’s history. The shooting created a riot and placed anger in the eyes of students everywhere. With the hope of change, students around the country created the Never Again movement, taking matters into their own hands.
Just this week on March 20, another school shooting took place in Maryland at a high school known as Great Mills. Three students were shot at and multiple were injured throughout the duration of the shooting. This brings the count up to 19 school shootings since the beginning of the new year.
Students have started walking out against gun violence in schools everywhere. It has become a national movement lead by teenagers. “These young adults get it,” NBA all-star Dwyane Wade tweeted out after talking with students from Parkland. “They understand the power of their voices for the ones that often go unheard!”
March 24 will be a big day around the country. Voices will come together as one collective movement and marches will be held in multiple communities. “I think it’s important that smaller communities are putting together their own marches for the people that can’t make it to Washington D.C.,” stated senior Emma Elceser.
“Not one more. We cannot allow one more child to be shot at school. We cannot allow one more teacher to make a choice to jump in front of a firing assault rifle to save the lives of students,” the March for Our Lives website states in its mission statement. “We cannot allow one more family to wait for a call or text that never comes. Our schools are unsafe. Our children and teachers are dying. We must make it our top priority to save these lives.”
The Quad Cities area will be taking on its own march this Saturday, March 24. It will take place at Vanderveer Park and begin at 2:30 pm. All people are welcome to join and support the movement this weekend. “I think it’s really cool how much student participation has influenced community activism,” Pleasant Valley senior Isabella Holland commented. “Marches across the country have had an impact with legislature and changing the culture of gun violence.”
