A march that has been more than a month in the making finally came to fruition yesterday (March 24) in Boston and many other major cities across America. Citizens gathered in Boston Common to alert elected officials to the need for stricter Gun Control laws across the country, letting them know to work on putting said laws into effect, lest they get voted out of office in the 2018 midterm elections. Some of the points argued during The March were the need to ban AR-15s, not to arm teachers, and the hypocrisy among Republicans who have accepted campaign donations from the NRA (National Rifle Association).

Convening on the march was a sight to behold

People from all walks of life in Massachusetts yesterday joined millions across the country in the March For Our Lives. It was a march meant to promote gun regulations and awareness of gun violence to America’s elected officials in wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, where 17 students were killed.

The commuter rail, which I noticed had more carts than usual for a weekend commute to accommodate a large number of marchers, was filled with people of all ages. There were high school and college students, groups of families, and even kids who held signs while they accompanied their parents. These signs said things such as "My mom won't let me own a Nerf Gun" and "You can't fix stupid, but you can vote it out."

The atmosphere on the train, which one might think to be one of dread, melancholy, or even anger and fear given the circumstances that are responsible for the march’s existence, was actually much more lively and excited even.

Plenty of smiling faces and cheerful conversations, conveying a tone of celebration rather than outrage.

Many were present in spirit, and even before then

While hundreds flooded the common, holding signs, marching, and delivering empowering messages to their elected officials within eyesight of The State House, the building where the office of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker resides, many others were voicing support from the sidelines and on social media.

A notorious college town, Boston was full of students who voiced their desire to join the march in its entirety but were prevented from doing so due to academic-related commitments. One such example I encountered is a handful of students at Suffolk University, who incidentally are about to start tech week for their production of the original musical One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State.

A show that was inspired largely by the events leading up to, and beyond, the 2016 Presidential Election. Many of these same students stood on the steps of the State House in protest following the election of President Donald Trump.

When they did get a chance to visit The Common, they were quick to continue their fight for change by marching, chanting, and sharing pictures of themselves and their friends holding signs on social media. If the atmosphere of this march is any indication, this movement goes far beyond signs and change, and could very well be the end of one era, and the beginning of another, more gun-regulated one.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED