Why I Marched

I marched in the March for Our Lives in NYC two weekends ago. It was an extraordinary experience and one of the most important things regarding civic engagement that I've felt I've ever done.

You see, I know a young man who survived the Parkland shooting. I used to live and work in Broward County. I know this area very well. I recognized and even knew people from Broward who were on the national news.The shooting at Marjory Stoneman became up close and personal.

I began interacting with people on social media about the issue of gun violence and reform. I heard from Facebook friends who own guns that they support limits on that freedom. These people understand that rights in America are not absolute but are weighed and balanced for the common good.

And I am convinced that the easy accessibility of firearms in this country is not good at all for the common good. I have witnessed on television the horror of the many mass shootings in schools, workplaces, nightclubs, and yes, even churches. A few years ago I became increasingly concerned for my family's home church. If it could happen in a church in Charleston, who's to say it won't happen in Palm Beach Gardens?

I could no longer just post my support for the student survivors of Parkland or Sandy Hook or the many, many other places of unrestrained violence. I had to get out and do something.

It concerns me that this issue has become an either/or debate in our country. If you support gun control and background checks, then you cannot possibly support better access to mental health. If you support mental health measures and beefed-up security in schools, then you cannot support reasonable, rational gun legislation. I think it's possible to support all of the above.

I had one person comment to me that she could not support any gun reform at all because it is a veiled attempt to take away all of her guns. This kind of affection for firearms paired with intense fear of having rights taken away seems at best irrational and at worst, pathological. It would appear that some Americans have an inordinate love for owning weapons. Unfortunately, this rigid thinking does little to bring people of differing opinions together.

But the pivotal reason why I marched was the positive messaging. I have always had a heart for social justice issues. However, I could not always get on board with some of the protest marches because of the negative stance. I wanted to march FOR something, not just against.

I gathered with hundreds of thousands across the country and world. The March in NYC was packed with grandparents and moms and dads with strollers. There was no rancor. People were kind and patient. We waited for a couple of hours on the Upper West Side until we could actually start marching. It was a peaceful, positive demonstration of people's voices being heard that is part of parcel of what this country is all about.

I saw a feed recently of some Facebook friends speaking against one of the Parkland students because of his use of four-letter words. While I am not in favor of  vulgarities, I would never decry a seventeen-year-old survivor of a mass shooting. What further dismayed me is these critics were Christians. I suppose they missed the parts where Jesus said "love your neighbor" and "bless your enemies". This speaking out against student survivors must stop.

These students are merely carrying out the legacy of their school's namesake. Marjory Stoneman Douglas was a suffragette, civil rights activist, and conservationist. Why would we expect anything less from these students? These young people are doing exactly what she did: letting their voice be heard. And an increasing majority in this country are listening.

So I marched because I want to make a difference. I am choosing social action over Facebook rants. I choose to stand with the Parkland students and speak out for them. I choose to bless the thousands of survivors of gun violence in this country with the healing they need and deserve. And yes, I even choose to be gracious to the nay-saying critics (although I will not engage in endless debate).

If you have interest in being part of this cultural shift, I encourage you to do so. Stand for common sense. Stand for safety. Stand for justice. Stand for the kids. Stand for life.