W e asked News & Guts readers to share their images and thoughts on Saturday’s “March For Our Lives” and the response was inspiring. From South Florida to Germany here are some of the pictures and messages we received.
Courtesy: Robyn Marcus, Boca Raton, FL “We marched today as a family because we needed to show our children that their safety and the safety of all children is of utmost importance. I work in a school every single day and my 3 children go to 3 different schools and it is absolutely unacceptable that they should not feel safe there. The students at Douglas are just a few miles from the school where I work and they have been an inspiration for us. They will not back down from this fight and neither will we. We all stand beside them and we will fightevery dayy to make sure this never happens again”
Courtesy: Lauren Davis/Happily Ever Elephants “I’m a mom of two little boys- but I’m also the library media specialist at a school with toddlers as young as 18 months and kids as old as fifth grade. Witnessing these children – these babies! – frequently practice lockdown drills are gut-wrenching. We need to make a change- for our babies, our students, our future. The time is now, and I’m so proud of the Parkland activists and all the other young people who are leading the way.”
From: Elyse Robbins Reznick “Joe Biden at Wilmington DE March for our Lives”
Courtesy: Rachel Escusa – Columbus, OH From Rachel Escusa – Marched in Columbus, Ohio: The students led the way today. It’s up to us, as adults, to vote in or vote out the change they seek. Columbus, Ohio March for a Our Lives
Courtesy: Nancy Berry Leitman – Washington D.C. I marched in DC because I support the students for change. With our help we are the change we all want. Being a school nurse I am aware how this affects our students.
From: Kimberly Ryan Blyth – Beverly, MD “We had an impressive turnout today with well over 1000 attendees. We’re proud to be a part of the #nevergain movement.”
From Kim Zusman Haller – Miami, FL: “I taught Pre-K Special Ed for 5.5 years and regular education kindergarten for 2 years for Miami Dade County Public Schools. I became a teacher because I loved children. I wanted nothing more than to teach them to love learning. I wanted to teach them to love each other. I wanted to teach them how to be good American citizens. I did not sign up to be in law enforcement or the military service. Guns do not belong in our classrooms. They do not belong on our teachers.”
Courtesy: Mel Rivero – “My husband, a Marine veteran and now math professor, myself, and our two kids drove from Orlando to DC to march today!”
From Alana Haley – Petoskey, MI: “15 degree wind chill didn’t suppress turnout. 200+ in a small town with many families on vacation due to spring break. Awesome!”
From: Colleen Nunes “Attended a student led rally in New City, NY. If these kids are any indication of our youth, then they are a force to be reckon with!”
Courtesy: Deborah Elias-Smith – Bethany Beach, DE “People in this little town standing together. Some who say they have never done anything like this before. Expected 100 people. Crowd was over 400!”
Courtesy: Jane Andrews – Rome, Italy “We were 150 strong and joined by Valentina and Gabriella Zuniga, 2 Parkland STRONG survivors and their parents. It was a powerful morning driven by children who have had enough! #MarchForOurLives #MarchForOurLivesRome”
Courtesy: Theresa Andrews Mills – Mckinney, TX “What if it was your kid? Would that be enough to make changes in the gun laws? #txlege”
Courtesy: Christy Mccarley “I’m marching in DC because I was a parent waiting to find out if my son was a victim at Virginia Tech. 2 1/2 hours of fear. #neveragain #enoughisenough”
Courtesy: Kim DeAngelo “Marched in Columbus, OH to “Pray With Our Feet”. Thoughts and prayers are not enough without ACTION. #DSOYouth #Episcopal”
Courtesy: Amanda Kusch Hurtubise – Port Huron, MI “Student organized march in Port Huron, Michigan. Approx 200 people turned out in 20 mph winds off the lake. The winds of change!”
Courtesy: Kristina Schmidt “San Jose, CA. Where the weather is always beautiful – but not today. Did that stop us? It did NOT!!! #marchforourlives”
Courtesy: Meg Rummel Engelmann -Munich, Germany. “Very honored to have the Feldman Family from Parkland, FL join us!”
Courtesy: Karen Thompson Beach – Charlotte NC “Thousands of students, parents, retirees. Lots of chants of ‘this is what democracy looks like.'”
Courtesy: Missy Lee Wortman “My daughter and I live in South Florida but are in London today creating our own marchforourlives”
Courtesy: Michelle Scopel “Nashville is marching strong”
Courtesy: Karen Legault “Marching in Grand Rapids, MI. So proud of the student organizers!”
Courtesy: Sheri Landsman Farber – St Louis, MO. “Cold and threatening rain but that didn’t stop us!”