Four years after attending March For Our Lives in Monroe, Michigan, I never dreamed I’d be attending another March For Our Lives event.
The student-led demonstration in support of gun-control legislation was held in March 2018, one month after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
Yet, here we are.
Again.
Four years later.
Gathering together to share our outrage with lack of gun control legislation by our states and Congress.
Yesterday’s March For Our Lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan was one of hundreds of local marches held throughout the United States protesting continuing mass shootings and gun violence in our communities and schools.
Led by University of Michigan students, the Ann Arbor march was attended by hundreds of people who gathered on the Diag at the University of Michigan.
University of Michigan students, Plymouth-Canton Community School students, Moms Demand Action members, U.S. House Representative Debbie Dingell, Michigan State Representative Ranjeev Puri, and Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Board of Education Vice-President Anupam Chugh Sidhu all spoke at the march.
It was inspiring, maddening, and frustrating to listen to personal accounts of students afraid of being in school.
For children practicing active shooter drills in their classes, school has become a terrifying experience.
It shouldn’t be that way.
The Moms Demand member (wish I caught her name) said:
I’m furious because we deserve better. We deserve to worship, grocery shop, go to work or school, the salon, anywhere without being shot.
and asked march attendees to call their elected representatives, email, or tweet them.
She ended her talk saying,
Better yet, run against them.
If you don’t do something, who will?
After speakers finished their talks, University of Michigan students led attendees (yes, me too!) in a march around the Diag and on the sidewalk in front of Angell Hall, as marchers shouted,
Stop the silence. End gun violence.
and
We want change. The time is now.