Bakersfield had its first ever march for our lives rally. The march was organized by Cal State Bakersfield students and local community organizations to spread awareness about gun violence.
Community members were amplifying their voices at the march as they promoted safety in schools.
Jesse Aguilar from the California Teachers Association expressed his concerns about the importance of ending gun violence
“I don’t want to pack heat while teaching. What I want is to teach without weary of being of shot. I didn’t become a teacher to watch my students become targets. We must do better.”
Alexandra Brown is a former CSUB student and one of the organizers of the march and says that after hearing about the tragedy at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde Texas she wanted to get the community of Kern County together to demand change.
“Like so many of us, I was so heart broken when I heard the news about Uvale. I checked my phone and see that and it just rocked me. There are children who are supposed to be enjoying the last week of school, getting ready to go on summer vacation, and instead they had to face the horrific violence that took so many of their lives and it will stay with everyone else, all the survivors for the rest of their lives.”
CSUB student Samantha Medina Alvarez says that no child or student should have fear when going to school and that after seeing the number of school shootings in the U.S. the bottom line is enough is enough.
“Due to school shootings, kids at an early age must start learning the idea of while school is supposed to be a safe place where they can play around, meet friends, and compete who gets the most reading points in class, they are also meant to be on their toes hoping they do not hear a gunshot.”
