I 'm mad.
Scratch that.
I'm downright PISSED OFF.
Yesterday, I attended a march. A rally. My very first vocally supported cause. I wasn't sure I wanted to. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if we'd even be safe. But I went. As a friend. As a support. As a teacher. As a human being. And it was AMAZING. 50,000+ people packed into a park over 3,000 miles away from the most recent school shooting. Strangers. Adults. Students. CHILDREN. We rallied together. We marched.
We chanted words of PEACE. We were a unanimous chorus of voices. People stood on the sidelines and cheered us on. Children excited the crowds. (Even Girl Scout cookies were purchased!) And we marched.
Other than 1 (literally 1) lowly "protester" with his "Dont tread on me" flag and "you won't take MY guns" sign who walked about 300 feet behind the last marcher, there was no one there against us. No one yelling words of opposition. "What is there to oppose?" I said to my friends. "Who could be against LIVING?!"
And then I went home...
Once home, I was first met with pictures and videos posted by my friends around the country and the marches they attended. I watched speeches from other rallies and felt a sense of PRIDE. These kids, some as young as 9 years old were poised, and eloquent, and beautiful in front of these HUGE crowds sharing a message of peace. My eyes welled up with tears when I thought for a moment that this, THIS was the day that would start the change. THIS was the day that would light the fire. THIS was the day that would go down in history as the day that the world started to become a better place for our children, and their children.
And then I kept reading. After all the beauty and the power of the day, I was met by the "keyboard warriors" spouting rhetoric of hate on public pages. So much anger toward children. People screaming in fear about having their guns and gun rights stripped away because some "dumb kids" thought it should happen. When was that brought up exactly? When was it stated that law abiding citizens who obtain weapons legally were going to have teams of people invade their homes and take away all their guns?! The only message that I heard, one that I think was shared throughout the country was stricter laws about obtaining weapons in the future. "Crazy" things like longer waiting periods to purchase weapons to help deter crimes of passion and training on the proper use of these weapons. Laws such as reevaluation of people once they have weapons to ensure that they aren't now that a danger to themselves or others. The opportunity for weapons to be removed IF someone is deemed a danger to themselves or others. Where is the problem!? How is trying to make things SAFER for EVERYONE a problem? And when did it become acceptable for grown adults to mock and threaten children who have an idea?!
Now I was angry.
But it didn't stop there. I figured getting off public forums and returning to the safe haven of my own friends list was a much better place to be. Back to the pictures and videos of peace. But I was wrong. I quickly discovered how many of my "friends" were saying the same types of things that I was reading on the public pages. People I KNOW. People I grew up with. People with CHILDREN. How was it possible that I was reading words of fear and concern for weapons, but not fear and concern for HUMAN LIFE?! Saying things like these students, students who have been through hell, shouldn't be allowed to speak!? Shouldn't have a say in the matter!? Shouldn't be "spouting the agenda of "snowflakes?!", and being compared to NAZIS!? Children. Children who are sick of burying their friends. Children who would like to feel safe in school. Children who are asking and PLEADING for help from adults. These are the children who are being compared to Nazis. Children Who are getting HITLER mustaches drawn on their pictures. Having their images photoshopped to look like they are tearing documents in half and being called disgusting names. Children. Throwing an entire generation under a bus for the stupid actions of some.
And now I'm pissed.
This WILL be a time of change. This WILL be the turning point. Because it has to be...
No comments:
Post a Comment