Glimmer of Hope by The March for Our Lives Founders

Author:The March for Our Lives Founders
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2018-10-15T16:00:00+00:00

Charlie Mirsky

DIRECT POLITICAL PRESSURE:

EARLY MARCH

CHARLIE MIRSKY, A FORMER STUDENT of teacher Scott Beigel, discusses joining March for Our Lives as the only non-MSD student and his role in supporting the movement and amplifying the stories of gun violence survivors.

My mission to incite change in our country began in a unique way. Unlike the rest of the founders of the movement, I was never a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. I got involved after the shooting through my connection with Scott Beigel and friendship with Cameron Kasky. I’ve known Cameron since we were in kindergarten—we were best friends when we went to elementary school together. It’s funny because I remember clearly that we were the only first graders who cared about politics. Cameron was complaining about the system when we were practically toddlers. We weren’t really informed when we were six years old, but we followed elections and had opinions even then.

Cameron and I were in the same fifth-grade class at that school, and our teacher was Scott Beigel, who died at Marjory Stoneman Douglas protecting his high school students. I remember Mr. Beigel being a really cool teacher in elementary school. Even when we were just ten and eleven years old, he pushed us to understand the world outside of our little bubble. He referenced a lot of things that I didn’t know about. We would chat about politics a lot, which was cool for a fifth-grade teacher to do.

I only had Scott Beigel for fifth grade, and didn't talk to him much after that. But his character stayed with me. Even now, I can guarantee that every one of his students got to experience his wit, sarcasm, and charisma. Cameron left that school after fifth grade, but he and I stayed friends. I would get in touch with him after months and the friendship wouldn't feel different.

After I heard about the shooting, I sent Cameron a message asking if he was safe. Not long after that, he called me. The group he created wanted to do something in response to the shooting, and I asked if they had ideas. They said, “We think we should organize a march on DC. There are a lot of cameras on us, so we can make this a big deal.” He asked me to help because I’m organized, but also because I’m so politically minded.

At first, I wasn’t sure whether I would have a place in a movement like that. I knew Cameron and had known Mr. Beigel, but I wasn’t personally a survivor of the shooting. But I agreed to get involved, and ever since that night, I became a dedicated member of March for Our Lives. While I was aware of my status as an outsider when I joined the Douglas kids, they welcomed me in immediately. I’ve stayed aware that they’ve been through something really traumatic that I haven’t, and I try to keep that in mind, especially when I’ve done media appearances. Sometimes news outlets would mistakenly identify me

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