March For Our Lives – Change Starts With Us
March for Our lives is an organization that is dedicated to stopping gun violence and injustice in America. We have started a new branch in Fremont to involve the community of students in social justice and public policy.
By Armaan Sharma and Anya Patri
March For Our Lives. In today’s America, this call to action against gun violence is quite literal. Since 1970, our country has had 2,032 school shootings and even higher rates of firearm violence. From Columbine to Parkland to the Oakland shooting just last week, gun violence is solidifying itself as an epidemic sweeping the nation and taking countless lives along with it. While it seems impossible to find solutions or even mitigate these problems, there are many preventative measures the U.S. government can take but does not, such as stricter gun control laws and better mental health resources for schools. Because of this inaction, change is in the hands of citizens, parents, and students like us. We have a choice to speak up or stay silent, and we have the ability to amplify the voices of victims and demand justice.
An organization that is dedicated to this mission is March For Our Lives, a youth-based group started in 2018 following the Parkland school shooting. So far, we are a nationwide organization that unites scores of invested student activists leading their communities to a brighter, safer future for America as a whole. MFOL is an integral part of the movement to stop gun violence, with the New York branch sitting in on new gun control legislation in the state and the San Francisco branch organizing protests outside of city hall. With a movement, every action counts, and that is why we have started a new branch of MFOL in the Fremont area.
While Fremont is often considered to be a relatively progressive city, we are unfortunately often complacent when it comes to activism and true reform. Most Fremont residents are not invested in local politics or legislation, and when injustice occurs elsewhere, we don’t often take action. Our new MFOL branch plans to change that. Through community activities, crowd canvassing, and encouraging more action, we are invested in making Fremont a better place, as well as spreading our message of anti-gun violence through our community in order to challenge current legislation.
Some of our plans include crowd canvassing, such one of our previous events of tabeling at a local farmers market. We have also been locally phone-banking and encouraging people to vote for the upcoming midterms, especially for policies that endorse gun control. We are invested in both local and national politics, and are in the progress of planning an event where politicians of Fremont talk more about their policies and standings to students in order to further educate us on the state of this city. We want more community investment and engagement, and we are planning on tailoring the message of the March For Our Lives organization to fit the needs of our local community. One of these plans is related to mental health, as due to the high pressure environment that is unfortunately cultivated in Silicon Valley, stress takes a huge toll on students. We plan on creating a support group and advocating for more awareness throughout our district so that students have a good support system for any problems they are facing.
If any of this interests you or if you would also like to get involved with volunteering, you should join our organization! We are currently accepting volunteers in high school. If you would like to join the movement, apply in the form below. If not, follow us on Instagram to keep up with our plans for the future!
Links:
Email: mfol.fremont@gmail.com
IG: @mfol_fremont
National Website: March For Our Lives