"March for Our Lives," Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

I am in Ithaca, New York, and took the opportunity to join the "March for Our Lives" rally held on the Cornell University campus.



Hundreds of students and some adults gathered to rally and listen to student speeches decrying the state of affairs regarding the school safety debate and lack of a solution.



It was a beautiful spring day for a protest rally and march.



Articulate and impassioned students presented their various points of view.



Following the rally, many then marched to downtown Ithaca to join another rally being held on the Ithaca Commons.

Personally, I am inspired to see and hear young folks driving this agenda towards an improvement in insuring the safety of school environments particularly and society generally. I hope that when they gain control of the levers of power in this nation that they are more successful than previous generations have been in improving their safety. The hundreds of school shootings over the course of time clearly indicates a problem still needing a solution. Both sides of the debate need to find that common ground answer.

The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution states, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  It does not override the Declaration of Independence clause which states, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

By design, people have a right to life as do people have the right to keep and bear arms. A thoughtful, effective solution should be achievable.