“Good afternoon to the leaders, skeptics, and cynics who told us to sit down and stay silent, wait your turn. Welcome to the revolution.”

This was the opening line of Cameron Kasky’s speech at the March for Our Lives.  Kasky is not only a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student but a leader in the fight for more restrictive gun control laws.

The March for Our Lives took place March 24, 2018, with its main march taking place in Washington D.C.  However, over 800 other marches took place across the world including places such as Parkland, Los Angeles, New York City, and even a few in England and the Netherlands.  

The aim of the march was to call for change, so that no more events, like the tragedy that occurred in Parkland, occur again.

The program was scheduled to begin at noon, but hours before the streets were packed full of anxious supporters, especially teenagers, all wanting their voices to be heard.  Upbeat music and anticipation filled the air as hundreds of thousands waited for the rally to begin.

“As the program was gearing to start, I started getting really anxious,” said senior Maddy Starling, who attended the main march in D.C. “I was like ‘Who is going to speak, like what is going to happen?’” 

Starling feels passionate about fighting for sensible gun control.  She helped to plan the CHS Walkout out earlier this month and is helping to start an organization in Carlisle to help raise awareness for sensible gun control.   

When the rally began, it kicked off with a performance by singer Andra Day, but then transitioned into a heartfelt video. The film showed video and voice recordings from Parkland, Florida on the day of the shooting, February 14.  The crowd was silent until the video transitioned from showing people sending their thoughts and prayers to the many schools that have experienced mass shootings to ending at Parkland.

Emma Gonzalez, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and who could be called the face of this movement, made a bold statement.

“The adults let us down,” stated Gonzalez. “At this point, they are going to be gone by midterm elections because you are either with us or against us at this point.” 

Students then took to the stage to give their moving speeches, calling for a change to happen.  The only people to give speeches at the March for Our Lives were people under the age of 18. Students lead the entire movement. This encourages other students that their voice does have meaning.  

“If it was run by adults, students, like myself, would kind of be turned off,” Starling said. “[…B]ut with students leading it, I feel like I can do more and be a part of it more.”

Kasky ended the March for our Lives with this short yet unforgettable statement: “The fight begins today, and it will not end until we get what we need.”