People Over Party

I wrote several variations of this article before I finally came up with this one. With each of the previous versions, I tried to do my best to portray this topic through a proper conservative perspective. However, something just didn’t feel right. My party didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel right. With each new revision of my article, I began to question my own beliefs more and more. I am a Republican so therefore I should be all for the Second Amendment, right? Gun control laws are unconstitutional and hinder our safety more than they protect us. Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. That was the ideology I took to heart.

To be fair, I admit I genuinely believed this up until very recently. But at some point you need to recognize this NRA propaganda for what it truly is: BS. But I don’t think you should take my word for it. Instead, I urge all you to look up Emma Gonzalez’s speech during the March For Our Lives campaign in Washington, D.C. Emma’s emotional and powerful speech let us know what this movement is really about. It’s about being a human being. On February 14, 2018 from 2:21-2:27 p.m. in the halls of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, it did not matter whether you were Republican or Democrat. In those six minutes, 17 lives were lost and hundreds of young adults not only lost their friends, but were also forever scarred by the events of that day. Yes, this article should be based on a conservative point of view, yet on a issue as tragic as this I don’t think it is right to polarize ourselves even more. 

Instead, we must come together as human beings to sympathize but also seek change to prevent incidents like this from ever happening again. The March For Our Lives movement in D.C. and the 800 sister events that took place on Saturday, March 24 are crucial in allowing our generation to speak up for ourselves and what we believe in. Often times we get so caught up in arguing about the Second Amendment that we often forget about the amendment that comes right before it that protects our right to peaceful assembly. These marches and school walkouts are a great way to turn away from violence and instead seek change through the power of words and peaceful actions. It must be clear to our representatives that our generation has had enough. School should be an institution reserved for opportunity and growth, where fear and violence should only exist within our history textbooks and should never prevent a child from reaching his/her dream. 

The March For Our Lives was a step in the right direction for our generation but it should not be our last. Our voices have been heard but they must not be forgotten. Register to vote, contact your local congressmembers, and let Washington know that we are sick of their apologies and excesses and that America is always better safe than sorry. 

Contact Svetlin Sabev at [email protected].