In the midst of ongoing gun violence in American schools, roughly 4,000 Bay Area students and citizens gathered in Redwood City’s Courthouse Square to protest against the shootings.
The recent shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School struck politicians more harshly than those prior due to the persistence of the surviving students. The shooting resulted in more casualties than the infamous Columbine shooting that left 17 students killed. In an age when the NRA is promoting itself to the public, students across the country demand stricter gun laws in order to prevent any further unnecessary tragedies. On March 24th a student led “March for Our Lives” was held in major cities throughout America where activists of all ages gathered to fight for the safety of the nation’s children.
“I’m here for a few reasons. I have two elementary school boys and I want to show them that they can have their voices heard, and that activism can be a powerful thing, and we won’t stand for priorities other than our children’s safety,” Alex, a father from the Redwood City Area says.
Many parents and students have expressed that their safety should not be a concern while attending school, a place where education should be prioritized. However, as school shootings become increasingly common in America, the issue of safety is no longer just burdening the adults, but the students themselves.
“I feel for these families who have lost children in these school shootings and enough is enough. To see that our congressmen are being paid by the NRA, and they’re not doing anything, is so upsetting. There are no laws to prevent anything. This just has to stop,” Maria, a Bay Area resident, says.
The NRA is currently under fire for not creating stricter regulations, and continuing to support politicians with their money. However, although the government has been accused of not taking action in regulating the sale of arms, the students from Parkland High School have been able to bring about some change. In response to their arduous attempts to change U.S. gun policy, Florida state legislators passed a law to raise the minimum age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21, and banned the possession of bump stocks. However, supporters believe that legislators still have a long way to go.
“If the legislators in our government aren’t going to do anything about it, we are here to do something about it,” Sandra Wallace, a Bay Area student claims.
