On Saturday, Mar. 24, at 12:30 p.m. at the Green Space in downtown Lewisburg, community members from the Greenbrier Valley are gathering for a “sibling march/rally” as part of the March for Our Lives movement.
The rally is one of thousands happening around the country and world planned by students and survivors of gun violence in communities big and small, in all 50 states and on all seven continents. The national day of action will focus on calling for lawmakers to make students’ lives and safety a priority and to pass common-sense gun safety legislation as well as other social safety initiatives that will help to make schools a safe place for students and teachers.
March For Our Lives is created by, inspired by, and led by students across the country who will no longer risk their lives waiting for someone else to take action to stop the epidemic of mass school shootings that has become all too familiar. In the tragic wake of the seventeen lives brutally cut short in Florida, politicians are telling us that now is not the time to talk about guns. March For Our Lives believes the time is now.
Isaiah T. Stanley, a 17-year-old from Rupert and a junior at Greenbrier West says, “This rally is important because people’s lives are in danger and that is unacceptable. We need to put more regulations on our second amendment to keep our great country safe.” Stanley will be one of the speakers at the rally in Lewisburg on Saturday.
Greenbrier Valley Indivisible and Women’s March are the organizers of this rally, along with other concerned community members from Greenbrier Valley.
The kids and families of March For Our Lives will also take to the streets of Washington, DC on Mar. 24. Over 20 children and 12 adults from the Greenbrier Valley will attend. We have been meeting and organizing a car pool that includes a least two adults per vehicle and students from Greenbrier East and West as well as our middle schools. Find more about the March For Our Lives in DC: https://marchforourlives.com/.
Over 500,000 people are anticipated to participate from all over the United States. Protesters will gather along Pennsylvania Avenue starting at noon.
The mission and focus of March For Our Lives is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues. No special interest group, no political agenda is more critical than timely passage of legislation to effectively address the gun violence issues that are rampant in our country.
Every kid in this country now goes to school wondering if this day might be their last. We live in fear. It does not have to be this way. Change is coming. Moreover, it starts now, inspired by and led by the kids who are our hope for the future. Their young voices will be heard.
Ileya Westmoreland, a 17-year-old from Lewisburg and a junior from Greenbrier East High School states, “I find this march important because it allows me to show my vow of commitment for the safety of our high schools. I hope this march will not only bring more awareness to the danger of guns in our schools but also show just how much of our country supports and cares about my peer’s lives. I personally feel very worried at times because I know that is someone wanted to shoot up my school it would be very easy for them and that shouldn’t be the case.” Ileya and a few of her friends will be heading to Washington, DC with this local contingent on Saturday. They are hopeful that this gathering will inspire some successful legislation leading to improved safety in our schools.
