As a pro-gun, conservative student, Anthony Bartosiewicz believes his opinion has been drowned out. The 16-year-old from Wheaton, Illinois, said classmates who learn that he is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment have called him a "school shooter" or have pushed him into arguments about guns.
The highly publicized wave of student-led gun-control activism after the mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school in February has left some conservative students feeling as though their views are not being taken into consideration in the debate about how to stop school shootings. As the March for Our Lives movement has been trying to push gun-control legislation across the country, a group of students who want to protect Second Amendment rights sponsored rallies nationwide on Saturday.
"The problem that I saw was I didn't necessarily have a voice," Bartosiewicz said. "It's gotten to the point where another reason that I feel like we've been drowned out of the conversation is because people who are pro-gun aren't confident enough to speak their mind."
Organizers say they feel as though their right to bear arms is in danger and that the wave of gun-control activism could lead to certain types of guns being banned. The students are calling for the safe, responsible use of guns. They would like to see increased security in schools, including armed guards. Some would like teachers to be armed.
The group spearheading the rallies - March for Our Rights - held marches in Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington on Saturday, with sister events in seven other cities. The rallies were modest, but organizers hope to
