WE ARE WAITING A FEW MINUTES TO
MOVE IT OVER TO WASHINGTON,
D.C., WHERE THAT PROGRAM IS
ABOUT TO START.
LET'S LISTEN, THOUGH, TO
PARKLAND.
MY NAME IS DAVID COHEN AND
I'M MARCHING FOR DAVID ON HIS
18TH BIRTHDAY.
MY NAME IS SEBASTIAN AND I'M
MARCHING FOR COACH ERIC BICE.
MY NAME IS ETHAN ROCHA AND
I'M MARCHING FOR MY GOOD FRIEND
LUKE.
MY NAME IS NOAH JAMES AND
I'M MARCHING FOR JOAQUIN OLIVER.
MY NAME IS JOSH AND I'M
MARCHING FOR COACH SCOTT BEAGLE.
MY NAME IS CAROLYN AND I'M
MARCHING FOR CARMEN ASENTRA.
MY NAME IS [INDISCERNIBLE]
AND I'M MARCHING FOR ELAINE
PENNING.
MY NAME IS CARLY AND I'M
MARCHING FOR MY BEST FRIEND
MEADOW POLLACK.
MY NAME IS STEPHEN URCHEK
AND I'M MARCHING FOR MY COACH
CHRIS HICK SON.
MY NAME IS MORGAN AND I'M
MARCHING FOR MY BABY BROTHER,
ALEX SCHACHTER.
MY NAME IS RACHEL MAD DEP.
I'M MARCHING FOR JAMIE
GOTENBURG.
MY NAME IS CASEY AND I'M
MARCHING FOR ALYSSA HOLLIDA.
MY NAME IS ELLA AND I AM
MARCHING FOR CARRA LONGREN.
MY NAME IS ALEXUS AND I'M
MARCHING FOR MY FRIEND GINA
MONTALTO.
MY NAME IS LAUREN AND I AM
MARCHING FOR PETER WONG.
MY NAME IS CATHERINE AND I'M
MARCHING FOR MY BEST FRIEND
HELENA RAMSEY.
MY NAME SA [INDISCERNIBLE]
I'M MARCHING FOR
[INDISCERNIBLE].
THESE 17 LIVES ARE WHY WE
MARCH.
[APPLAUSE]
.
ON FEBRUARY 14TH WE ALL
HUGGED AND KISSED OUR PARENTS
LIKE WE HAD NOT SEEN THEM IN A
YEAR, BUT THIS IS NOT BECAUSE WE
WERE CELEBRATING VALENTINE'S
DAY.
THIS IS BECAUSE ON FEBRUARY 14TH
A GUNMAN CAME TO OUR SCHOOL,
MARJORY STONE MAN DOUGLAS HIGH
SCHOOL AND SHOT AND KILLED 17 OF
OUR CLASSMATES AND TEACHERS, 17
OF OUR FRIENDS, 17 MEMBERS OF
OUR FAMILY.
SOME OF US WERE STUCK IN A DARK
CORNER OF OUR CLASSROOM HOPING
THAT THIS NEXT PERSON TO
WALKTHROUGH THOSE DOORS WOULD BE
SOMEONE TO BRING US TO SAFETY.
SOME OF US WERE RUNNING FOR OUR
LIVES THROUGH OUR LOCAL WALMART
ONLY TO FIND THAT THE SHOOTER
HAD FOLLOWED US THERE ON A
DRINK.
MEANWHILE LEAVING 17 BODIES AND
BULLET SHELLS IN HIS WAKE.
BUT NO MATTER WHERE WE WERE, WE
WERE ALL FEELING THE SAME PAIN.
WE WERE ALL EXPERIENCING THE
SAME PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL
SHOCK.
WE WERE ALL STARING BLANKLY
WONDERING WHY US?
NOW, 39 DAYS AFTER THIS TRAGEDY
HAPPENED, WE STILL EXPERIENCE
THE SAME PAIN.
WE STILL EXPERIENCE THE SAME
SHOCK AND WE STILL WONDER WHY
US.
BUT NOW WE WILL USE THIS PAIN TO
DEMAND CHANGE
[APPLAUSE]
.
WE WILL USE THIS PAIN TO
MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE EVER AGAIN
HAS TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME
HEARTBREAK, THE SAME SHOCK, AND
THE SAME QUESTIONING OF WHY US
THAT WE DO.
I'M ADAM BERMAN AND THIS IS WHY
WE MARCH.
WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PULL
OFF THIS AMAZING MARCH WITHOUT
THE LOVE AND ENCOURAGEMENT FROM
OUR COMMUNITY.
BY BEING HERE TODAY, YOU HAVE
SHOWED YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR