Almost 200 people rallied at McGregor Park to push for stricter gun laws in the wake of widespread gun violence in the US on Saturday, March 24, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., particularly in response to the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
Eight-hundred twenty-five March For Our Lives events took place internationally. While an official march did not take place in McGregor Park, the March For Our Lives event in Clarksville, Tennessee involved a rally consisting of speeches, dedications, poetry readings, musical performances and a demand for change.
Many of those who attended were school students, graduates, parents and children, all there for a common cause.
Protesters handed out flowers with the names of victims from various school shootings, such as Columbine and Sandy Hook. Two tables presented resources on how to contribute to the conversation and voter registration.
A junior at APSU Middle College, Nahan Abubucker led the event. She has expressed great interest in the topic of common sense gun control, and her introduction speech called attention to her views on a lack of progress made on gun control laws.
“Just talking about this makes us really tired,” Abubucker said. “So, we put it off, we put it off and we put it off, but if we keep waiting for a good time to talk about gun violence, we might as well never talk about gun violence because there’s never a good time.”
Among one of the main topics of her speech was a call to action in response to Congress’s actions on the topic of gun violence and restrictions.
“Everyone tries so hard to turn their heads because every conversation devolves into an argument,” Abubucker said. “This country needs to sit down and really think about whether or not our pride is worth more than the lives being ripped apart.”
The midterm elections come Nov. 6 this year, and one of the biggest goals of events such as March For Our Lives is to create change in regards to gun violence. The marches gather community together to stand for one common goal.
“This isn’t over yet,” Abubucker said. “We students have made the choice to say that if the grown men and women of this nation are not brave enough to make the change, then we will stand where they will not stand. We will fight where they will not fight.”
To take part in the movement for change, text “students” to 644-33, or visit every.tw/Students to find more information.
