March For Our Lives

Today thousands of students, educators, parents, and citizens who have simply had enough marched for gun control. There were people in Sioux Falls who marched in the snow. There were people in D.C. who marched toward the government which refuses to protect children. There were people around the world who live in countries without obscene amounts of gun violence who marched in solidarity. There were people who marched alone and people who marched with friends or family.

Lately I have been quite discouraged scrolling through my social media feeds. Whether it's seeing bone-spur donny once again trying to ban transgender soldiers--who are brave enough to risk their lives for our country which constantly fails to protect them--from serving in our military or hearing more about Russia or any of the other completely insane things that happen in the federal government on a daily basis, my feeds have been full of information that makes me sick to my stomach.

Today, even though if I think too much about gun violence it makes me want to vomit, I was filled with hope. I was filled with hope seeing Paul McCartney march for John Lennon. I was filled with hope seeing two of my favorite musicians, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, send love from their world tours. I was filled with hope when I listened to a crowd sing The Climb with Miley Cyrus. I was filled with hope seeing countless people I follow tweet and retweet images of posters and protesters.

But more than that, I was filled with hope but everybody younger than me stepping up to take control of the future the NRA is trying to take away from them. I often don't feel like at 22 I have my life together. In fact, most days I straight up feel like a child. But seeing high schoolers and middle schoolers and elementary kids standing up and refusing to accept the current state of gun violence in our schools and country is downright inspiring. I wish I had had that much spunk and sense of dissent and boldness when I was their age.

Each day since they lost 17 friends and classmates, the Parkland survivors have inspired me. Emma Gonzalez's speech is moving for each and every second:

But who really moved me--literally, to tears--was Naomi Walder. This girl is ELEVEN. E L E V E N Y E A R S O L D. Eleven years old and already so strong and smart and fierce with so much power and poise:

These kids give me hope.

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