Since 2015, there have been an average of 350 unintentional shootings by children per year, translating to one shooting per day. Nearly 40,000 people die per year due to firearm related injuries.
Sandy Hook Elementary, Santa Clarita, Ridgeway High School..the list goes on and on. School shootings are taking place, putting the lives of innocent children in danger and killing them. March For Our Lives is a student-led demonstration in support of legislation to prevent gun violence in the United States.
MFOL began in 2018, after the Parkland, Florida, massacre took place on Valentine’s Day. Since the first march on March 24, 2018, MFOL has raised more than $3 million in hopes to prevent gun violence and to take care of the victims of shootings families.
I joined MFOL this past summer, as the Communications Director for Pennsylvania. Living a few minutes outside of Philadelphia, I hear way too many stories of people who have died from firearm-related injuries and even know some people who have died. Gun violence has already claimed the lives of 1200 people in Philly, since January of this year.
Statistically speaking, 43 percent of Americans own firearms. Many of these people who own guns have easy access to the weapons, making it easy for children to get a hold of the gun and hurt or kill someone or themselves. One out of every three homes with children have guns.
As the communications director for Pennsylvania, my duties include posting and creating content for our Instagram account (@mfolpa), as well as our Twitter account (@mfolpa). I post content to recruit members via social media and inform the public of our mission. I also report news on shootings and promote a very possible change in gun violence. I have weekly conference calls with my state team, where we discuss solutions to work toward and plan our days out.
Children should not fear going to school and parents shouldn’t have to bury their child. I love what I do for MFOL and I will continue to fight for any and everyone who has experienced gun violence or lost someone to it. I will not rest until laws are changed. I will not rest until schools are safe. I will not rest until guns are off the streets.
“I joined March For Our Lives this year after spending the summer working with children at a camp,” Becky Schwartz, outreach director, said. “Gun violence may be my generation’s problem, but I am working with March For Our Lives so that these children will not have to inherit the issue when they are our age.”
If you have any interest in getting involved with March For Our Lives, please reach out to us via social media. Condolences are not enough, so march today and vote tomorrow.
