RATING: ♦♦♦♦♦
The mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland FL on Valentine’s Day sparked outrage throughout the country, including in The Villages. We learned that a local march in support of the national march in Washington, DC was being held at Lake Sumter Landing, and decided to join in.
Frankly, we were surprised, but proud, to see such a large crowd marching for tighter gun controls in The Villages, which is a Republican stronghold. The rally was organized by students from The Villages Charter School with other students and their supporters from The Villages and the surrounding area. It was one of hundreds of marches throughout the country on that day in support of sensible gun reform laws.
Organizers and police expected a hundred people to attend, but were caught off guard when many hundreds, perhaps over a thousand, showed. The initial plan was to march around the inner square, but the size of the crowd prompted leaders to march throughout the entire shopping and commercial area. Additional police officers needed to be called in to help control the traffic flow. There were a few counter protesters, but all in all, it was a peaceful event.
Even though it as a small gesture, we felt we did a good thing by marching. It is clear to us that the solution to gun violence, especially mass shootings, is not more guns. The Second Amendment does not, and should not, mean all Americans have the right to bear arms without restriction. We believe the NRA has lost all credibility on this matter. We have committed ourselves to become aware of political candidates who accept NRA money, and vote accordingly. This is no longer a political issue, it is a moral one. “Enough is enough.”