Marching for a safer tomorrow--not a crazier one.

This past Saturday I attended the "March for Our Lives" in Parkland for a number of reasons. I marched to lend support to some of my friends from Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and to everyone else affected by the tragedy. I marched to contribute to the fight for common sense gun laws so that something like this would never happen again.

Seeing people of all backgrounds come out to support this movement brought about a heartwarming, communal feeling which was more than needed for the Parkland survivors, their families, and their friends. While the Parkland march wasn't as huge as the DC march, I still had the chance to connect with people who all came together for the same cause, despite their differences in political affiliation and perspectives on society. Meeting and conversing with people I never would have talked to without this connection exposed me to new takes on various topics from both an older and younger audience. I was shocked to see so much of an older crowd. The biggest portion of marchers were teens or young adults of course, but there was also a notable pool of not just parents, but older people reaching ages between 70-80.

Despite the irrevocable emotional weight of this tragedy, survivors and supporters continue to fight for a safer home, opposed to the "CrazyTown" Americans have put up with for too long. America is valued differently by all of it's inhabitants, but a great deal of us have the similar view that in order for America to truly be "great again", politicians and lawmakers need to take serious measures to ensure safety for every American no matter their cultural and political backgrounds. Finding myself making an analogy between my home country and "CrazyTown" is not something that makes me proud. I'd like to keep "CrazyTown" and all of it's clamor solely dedicated towards artistic expression and entertainment purposes, rather than affiliating it with the current disharmony of today's America.

None of us should live in a world where we can make connections between something make believe and something real. The reality of this country should act as a general wake up call for all of us to do whatever we can to secure public safety, something so practical. I don't feel very comfortable living somewhere where this kind of behavior to be tolerated. I don't feel very comfortable living in a country that I can casually relate to a song like "CrazyTown".