The March For Our Lives movement has garnered a lot of momentum in the past few months. On March 24, approximately 800,000 people marched in support of stricter gun control in Washington D.C., and many more marched throughout the nation. In comparison, as much as 600,000 people marched to protest the war in Vietnam in 1969. I had not heard about a march taking place in Texas until the day before the demonstration because I did not expect a state like Texas to have much support for a demonstration advocating stricter gun control. However, police estimated that there were as many as 7,000 to 8,000 people at the march in Fort Worth.

Admittedly, even after I found out about the march I didn’t expect many people to be there. When I arrived in downtown I noticed three helicopters flying. As I got closer to the courthouse, where the march was scheduled, I could see that there were actually a lot of people attending. People were clapping and holding up signs. One sign advocated for more mental health support, saying “Mental Health Reform NOW!” Another sign read “So BAD even introverts are here.” Additionally, one woman’s sign seemed to challenge the second amendment supporting Christians by reminding them of a famous Bible verse which reads “Thou shalt not kill.”

The Fort Worth march was organized by two students from Paschal High School, Lucy Ariole and Lillian Scott. In an interview with NBCDFW, Lucy said “I called up Lillian and I said ‘You know, we should do one in Fort Worth since we can’t miss school and fly to D.C..’” Ariole explained why the movement is so important to her, “I’m passionate about this because I am a student and I could be the next victim, any of us could be.”

Before the march began, a group of students, including Ariole and Scott, spoke in front of the 8,000 people there. “You are never too young or too old to share your voice and this is the first step,” Ariole said in front of the crowd. Afterwards, the students led everyone to the streets to begin the march. The march went on for about an hour. People shouted “No more violence! End gun violence!” and “We call BS!” And many held signs to remind politicians of all the young people who will be able to vote in the coming years.

I am happy and proud of my generation for standing up for an important cause. Though I have never experienced a school shooting, and hopefully I never will, I understand how horrifying it must be to be in a situation such as that. I believe it is up to me and my generation to fix the injustices in this country and to make sure that our children have an equal and peaceful society.

Greg Mariscal

Greg Mariscal