Comment: March for Our Lives, about more than students and gun control Published on: 26 March 2018 Writing for The Conversation, Dr Jon Coburn discusses how the March for Our Lives suggests that a far more significant movement for democratic change is taking root. , On a cool, sunny Saturday morning in Philadelphia, I watched as an estimated 20,000 people joined hundreds of thousands more across the US to . Responding to February鈥檚 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, participants called for an end to the stubborn political and cultural impasse that has frustrated all attempts at gun reform. But March for Our Lives suggests that a far more significant movement for democratic change is taking root. After the in 2012, public policy scholar Kristin A. Goss about the curious absence of a 鈥減opular movement for gun control鈥�. The failure of measures to prevent future slayings in the event鈥檚 aftermath paralysed many Americans: if the killing of 20 elementary school children could not move policymakers to act, then nothing could. Things are different now. The Philadelphia march alone should force a long-delayed conversation about the city鈥檚 gun crime, and will hopefully pressure lawmakers to do something meaningful about it. Philadelphia has so far been spared the horror of a mass school shooting, but the city is nevertheless blighted by gun violence. There were reportedly 335 gun deaths in 2017. Statistics show that since 2006, . , executive director of CeasefirePA and currently running for Congress, said at the march that while mass shootings may galvanise people, Philadelphia suffers from a daily problem of violence that remains overlooked. Calling it. Author provided The timing of the march could not have been better: it coincided with both an and a Guardian report that a rural Pennsylvania school district would begin arming teachers and students with , to be kept locked in a classroom closet in the event of an armed assailant breaking in. Fitting then that March for Our Lives foregrounded the perspectives of students themselves. To be sure, the diligent work of youth leaders ensured the international success of Saturday鈥檚 marches. Assembled outside Independence Hall on the morning were children of all ages, armed with placards, hoodies, and chants asserting the hypocrisy and inadequacies of current gun laws. It was heartening to see politically engaged young people speak so eloquently and passionately about the issues affecting their lives. And yet, something deeper is happening 鈥� and the marchers assembled outside Independence Hall made for a remarkably broad church. American responsibility Among the marchers were members of all sorts of groups 鈥� Moms Demand Action for Common Sense Gun Control, Everytown for Gun Safety, Black Lives Matter, and the Conscious Elders Network. Veterans of last year鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Marches proudly donned their . Many more took to the streets for the first time, pushed to action by the seriousness of the cause. Up in arms. Author provided And there is little to indicate that gun reform will be enough. The spectre of Donald Trump and all that the current presidency represents loomed over Philadelphia鈥檚 march. Marchers Carole and Craig, who have demonstrated since the 1960s, told me they were seizing an opportunity to help galvanise a wider movement for the democratic change they feel the country has needed for some time. Addressing the crowd, Pennsylvania Representative passionately linked gun culture to racism and gender and sexual discrimination. And marked out by their fluorescent vests and clipboards, countless volunteers implored people to register to vote in the upcoming midterm elections and effect broader electoral change. Many marchers were clearly there to demand a much broader national conversation. Not everyone agreed on the need for extensive gun reform. Pennsylvania is a culturally diverse state, including not just the metropolis of Philadelphia and industrial heartlands but rural areas where . I met one marcher who grew up around guns and wants to see a ban on the notorious , but who also prefers the norm of responsible gun ownership to the prospect of a blanket ban of all firearms. Another person I spoke with reflected on the need for people to engage in frank political discussions with their neighbours. In it together. Author provided The current uproar about school safety and gun control is part of a deeper American reckoning over personal responsibility and recklessness. Mark Timpone, parent of a student in Parkland, told marchers about his decision to . The power of his story came from his candid explanation of how he obtained the gun in the first place 鈥� how he knowingly exploited loopholes and deliberately sought out an unlicensed vendor at a gun show to get hold of it faster. His frank honesty quietened the assembled crowd. As with all mass protest movements, whether and how March for Our Lives can translate its momentum into tangible legislative change remains to be seen. By drawing 800,000 demonstrators to the US capital and countless thousands to 鈥渟ibling marches鈥� around the world, this campaign is already shaping public debate 鈥� but gun control measures are only one front in this struggle. , Teaching Fellow in History, This article was originally published on . Read the . Share: Latest News 缅北禁地 recognised with geography award 缅北禁地 has been awarded the Highly Commended Geographical Association Publishers Award for its collaboration with Time for Geography, the UK鈥檚 open-access, dedicated video platform. published on: 16 April 2026 缅北禁地 historians mark General Strike centenary To mark the 100th anniversary of the British General Strike and miners鈥� lock-out of 1926, historians at 缅北禁地 are organising a series of events on its enduring legacy. published on: 16 April 2026 Comment: NCP is in administration Writing for The Conversation, Erwei (David) Xiang discusses how some big companies like NCP are so dependent on debt that they can鈥檛 adjust to change. published on: 16 April 2026 Facts and figures
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