Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed in a mass shooting on Wednesday, appeared on the the Sunday morning bobblehead shows and announced “March for Our Lives,” a demonstration for new gun control legislation scheduled for Saturday, March 24, in Washington, D.C., and cities around the country.
The students have set up a web site, https://www.marchforourlives.com, and a Facebook page.
On March 24 we will take to the streets of Washington, DC and our communities across the country. We will be the last group of students who have to stand up for fallen children due to senseless gun violence. March with us. Sign up at marchforourlives.com.
Mission Statement
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. 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.
March For Our Lives is created by, inspired by, and led by students across the country who will no longer risk their lives waiting for someone else to take action to stop the epidemic of mass school shootings that has become all too familiar. In the tragic wake of the seventeen lives brutally cut short in Florida, politicians are telling us that now is not the time to talk about guns. March For Our Lives believes the time is now.
On March 24, the kids and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets of Washington, DC to demand that their lives and safety become a priority. The collective voices of the March For Our Lives movement will be heard.
School safety is not a political issue. There cannot be two sides to doing everything in our power to ensure the lives and futures of children who are at risk of dying when they should be learning, playing, and growing. The mission and focus of March For Our Lives is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues. No special interest group, no political agenda is more critical than timely passage of legislation to effectively address the gun violence issues that are rampant in our country.
Every kid in this country now goes to school wondering if this day might be their last. We live in fear.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Change is coming. And it starts now, inspired by and led by the kids who are our hope for the future. Their young voices will be heard.
Stand with us on March 24. Refuse to allow one more needless death.
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES!
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UPDATE: Students, teachers, activists staging national walkouts to protest inaction on gun violence:
Several groups have organized school walkouts nationally following the Parkland, Florida school shooting that claimed the lives of 17 students.
The walkouts are in protest of lawmakers’ inaction on gun violence.
Here are some of the walkouts being planned:
March 14:
Organizers of the Women’s March have organized a walkout on March 14 at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes. Women’s March Youth EMPOWER is calling for students, teachers, and allies to take part in a #NationalSchoolWalkout for 17 minutes at 10am on March 14, 2018. Join us in saying #ENOUGH!http://bit.ly/EnoughMarch14
March 24:
March for our Lives (above), a group organized by students, is calling for a nationwide walkout on March 24 “to demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools today.”
April 20:
National School Walkout is asking students to walk out on April 20 at 10 a.m. on the anniversary of the Columbine massacre. On Friday, April 20th we want students to attend school and then promptly WALK-OUT at 10:00 am. Sit outside your schools and peacefully protest. Make some noise. Voice your thoughts. “We are students, we are victims, we are change.” Sign the petition at Change.org National High School Walk-Out for Anti Gun Violence:
We are the students, we are the victims, we are change, fight gun violence now! High School students across the U.S.A, the way to fight back is here. There has been too much complacency on the part of politicians when it comes to gun violence. The time to act is now!
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The Plan:
On Friday, April 20th, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting I propose a National High School student walk out. Walk out of school, wear orange and protest online and in your communities. Sign the petition if you pledge to do so. Nothing has changed since Columbine, let us start a movement that lets the government know the time for change is now. #nationalschoolwalkout.
I live in the DC area. Do the students coming up from Florida need places to stay?
You should go to their web site and and contact them directly about your offer.
Ideas on messaging…
The NRA doesn’t respect guns. They don’t believe people that want to own guns should be responsible or accountable. They’re a cult with blood on their hands because of their careless attitude about adult grown-up responsibilities.
If bricks and shovels kill people (as Trey Gowdy suggests) use bricks and shovels to fight off the government.
If you interpret the 2nd amendment to mean that citizens should be on equal footing with the government, then we should all have unchecked access to nuclear warheads. Clearly, there needs to be a line.
Just as free speech is not limitless (shouting fire in a crowded theatre) so should the 2nd amendment must have logical limits in the interest of public safety
You have my complete support. Will be marching in support. We in CT understand your anger and sorrow. God Bless you. Stay strong. You are not alone.
Mass marches were so effective in ending the Vietnam War. March for Life should have been scheduled during a school day to stop the school systems for that day, possibly making this effort most effective in getting the point across. The machine has to be stopped sometime to make repairs. My hope is for our government to take major action on gun control, in particular the AR-15, WMD.
It takes time. The marches to end Vietnam were necessary and had an affect. We did not get here from yesterday so the problem of our out of control gun culture not end tomorrow but it must happen, it will happen, THE TIME IS NOW!
God bless you. This movement is long overdue and much needed. Thank you for taking the initiative. I wish you ever success. I believe an great majority of Americans share your views and we are sick with frustrations, seeing so many beautiful, young, innocent people killed. My wife and I are both retired high school teachers as well as parents and grandparents; we are with you 100%
I think this has a chance to make a difference in the tone of the gun debate. Let’s keep an eye on this as the date approaches in March. I plan to attend and encourage other BfAzers to do likewise and document the events in AZ.