WHEREAS, the American Federation of School Administrators acknowledges that safety is a fundamental right of all students, families, staff and community members across the United States, especially at their schools; and
WHEREAS, school shootings have become a far-too-common occurrence, jeopardizing the physical and emotional safety of all stakeholders at schools; and
WHEREAS, the American Federation of School Administrators, a group of educational leaders, takes seriously the professional and moral responsibility to advocate for the safety of all those under our care; and
WHEREAS, the March for Our Lives was a student-led demonstration in support of tighter gun control that took place on March 24, 2018, in Washington, D.C., with more than 800 sibling events throughout the United States and around the world; and
WHEREAS, student organizers from #Never Again Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School planned the march in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Everytown for Gun Safety; and
WHEREAS, the event followed the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, which was described by many media outlets as a possible tipping point for gun control legislation; and
WHEREAS, protesters urged universal background checks on all gun sales, raising the federal age of gun ownership and possession to 21, closing the gun show loophole, restoring the 1994 federal assault weapons ban and banning the sale of high-capacity magazines in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the turnout was estimated to be between 1.2 to 2 million people in the United States, making it one of the largest protests in American history;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Federation of School Administrators supports the March for Our Lives movement as well as state and federal legislation for stricter gun control policies and increased background checks for gun purchases.