Before February 14, 2018, I considered myself a moderately political person. I had opinions, I shared them when I felt it was appropriate, but I never went out of my way to stand up for those opinions. I never could have imagined I would be standing in Washington D.C. less than two months later, in the middle of a crowd, participating in the largest political march in recent U.S. history.

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When the Parkland, Florida school shooting occurred, I became much more passionate about my views on guns. However, that is not why I am writing today. I am not here to preach gun control, but rather to explain why I wish I had been more politically active earlier and why I feel that everyone should become politically active.

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The main thing that drives me to write this article is the way I felt in D.C. on March 24 at the March For Our Lives. I was inspired. I felt this way for many reasons.

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The movement was completely student led and organized, with students making up almost the entirety of speakers. These students came from Los Angeles to Chicago, D.C. to Parkland, and more. Each student had something meaningful to say, and they made their experiences resonate with me by being completely open and honest. They never sugarcoated the severity of their experiences with gun violence, and they always made sure to show that their experiences were part of a larger trend.

 

Today, political views can be so isolating. If you enter a discussion with someone who is educated and has opposing views, you have to assess the validity of what they are saying. You have to poke holes in your own logic, and you have to wonder if they could be right. Even after this, if you decide your views are still sound, you may wonder why anyone would disagree. Participating in the March For Our Lives gave me assurance that many people agree with me. I am not the only one who is fed up with gun violence, and I am not the only one who is willing to take action.

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Most of all, that day I felt productive. As a teenager, it is so easy to get caught up in the world of studying, homework, and a social life. Sure, you feel productive when you finish an essay or turn in a big project that has been weighing you down for weeks, but you have to wonder, are the things you’re doing truly impacting your life? Maybe they do, but I can almost guarantee it is on a much smaller scale than something such as a walkout or protest.

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While in D.C., I knew that what I was doing was changing both my life and possibly the lives of others. I could feel it in the air. I just knew that everyone around me was more passionate about the issue of gun violence than ever before. I knew that this would not be a movement that mellowed down after this march. I knew that people would keep fighting for a long time. I am honored to be a part of that, and I can say with full certainty that without attending the march I would not be a part of that. I needed to get out there and be politically active to get the motivation to continue pushing for positive and productive change.

 

Like I said before, the issue of gun violence or control may not be the spark that lights the fire of political activism for you like it was for me. One of the beauties of our society is the ability to have different opinions and still maintain respect for one another. I may not agree with the reasons or causes of people’s marches, but after attending a march that I supported, I will definitely respect others for standing up for their views. Get out there, go march, and create what you believe is positive change; rest assured that many will admire you for your activism, even if they have a different political opinion.