All throughout the country on March 24, 2018, people took to the streets to march for stricter gun laws. The March for Our Lives campaign was organized by some of the students from Parkland, Florida. The resilient students started this movement not long after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, where 17 people lost their lives. The community has been mourning the loss of the students, teachers, and coaches ever since.
The campaign garnered nationwide support. People who have experienced mass shootings have met with the students, and they've banded together to fight for what's right.
Public figures like George Clooney have donated to the cause. Celebrities, students, and children alike marched alongside the students in Washington D.C. and even made speeches at the marches nationwide on the 24th. Miley Cyrus performed her song, "The Climb" and left a powerful message on stage. Arguably the most powerful message, however, came from Parkland senior, Emma Gonzales.
Giving a voice to those who lost theirs
Since the shooting, Gonzales has been very vocal over social media and with lawmakers. At an anti-gun rally a few days after the shooting, she made a speech that went viral. She has over 1.3 million followers on Twitter. She is an active voice of the movement for stricter gun laws and even participated in a town hall with NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch.
Six minutes and twenty seconds was all it took
The duration of Emma's speech was six minutes and 20 seconds long. She named the classmates and teachers she had lost in the tragic shooting, explaining that these people would never get the opportunity to do the things they loved, and their friends would never get the opportunity to see them again.
Then, for four minutes and 26 seconds of it, she was silent. That was the loudest message of all. She stood on stage and stared into the crowd, tears rolling down her cheeks. The camera panned into the crowd to reveal teary eyes and signs for lost friends. She resumed speaking by saying, "Since I have come out here, it has been 6 minutes and twenty seconds.
The shooter has ceased shooting, and will soon abandon his rifle, blend in with the students as they escape, and walk free for an hour before the arrest. Fight for your lives before it is someone else's job."
If you're interested in following Emma and her friends' journey, you can follow @AMarch4OurLives on Twitter.
