Poster Images From "March For Our Lives", Long Beach, California

This was the poster that motivated me to take pictures of the messages.
This was the first image I captured.

Yesterday was the organized march called March For Our Lives - 24 March 2018.

The march brings attention to the issue of weapons in America and promotes gun control.

It is a growing response to mass school shootings.

Here is a historical list of similar events going as far back as 1764.

I think this movement / activism / protest / awareness is quite unique because younger people than usual have become more politically minded as in previous generations, or as pointed out by media.

Nearly two generations ago protests against the Vietnam War was an effort through younger people, mostly college-aged students.

This year's gun protest includes very young people due to the fact that school shootings have occurred on grade-school campuses.

Some of the images are self explanatory, yet interpretation is dependent on the mind reading the message.

As is similar with advertising, marketing, and commercial messages, fallacies are very prevalent due to the nature of slogans and logic's limitations.

I will explain any brief conversation I had with the poster holder where applicable, otherwise images will simply be shared without commentary.

I'll refrain from giving too much of an editorial, but simply doing more 'reporting' than opining.

The images are in the order they were captured as I walked among the gathered crowd prior to the start of the march.

I stayed about 15 minutes.

I was unaware of the march.

Although I briefly survey news articles on a daily basis, I don't delve too far into the popular issues... being careful what I attach myself to emotionally.

I avoid that effort because what is popular is usually highly politicized or seemingly hijacked... and at times the issue(s) can become quite irrationally argued.

So this particular morning as I walked to a nearby bus stop on my way to a certain destination, I was surprised to see a crowd gathered in the park.

There were tents, a set of tables with blank posters and markers available for individuals to make their own poster, as well as tables with snacks and drinks.

There was a public announcement system, and park employees were on-hand assisting whoever was organizing.

There were generic mass-produced signs being handed out.

As I glanced at the items on the several tables, a woman encouraged me to grab a ribbon and make a poster.

I thanked her and picked up a ribbon as I continued looking for interesting and unique posters to take pictures of.

I purposely did not want to include any person's face, but simply focus on the images / messages on the posters.

I won't identify the demographics I saw those 15 minutes besides, as already stated, mentioning any pertinent information I gathered from the poster holders when asking for permission to take a picture and inquiring about the information on the poster.

If desired, you can use the location's zip code (90899) to review local demographics, incomes, and all the rest of that kind of information.

I asked what "AP" meant (unsure how the letters "AP" related to gun control or violence).

The poster holder said they were a teacher, the 'AP' standing for 'Advanced Placement'.

They mentioned how some students are stressed being in AP classes.

Their opinion was that they are unnecessary.

I responded that I personally felt a desire to be in AP classes when I was in high school, it being my understanding that smarter kids were in AP classes and they had a better chance of success in college.

I shared that I thought such classes help advance a student's academic effort, AP courses qualifying as college credit or allowing the student to skip required classes.

They explained further how AP classes do not help but hinder, thus the 'therapy' request on the poster.

I think many message are subject to interpretation (as all of human communication and the mediums used).

The focal point and where the public announcements were made.

Stage-right to the focal point tent, beneath the speaker.

The most elaborate poster I personally saw that morning - side one.

I asked the poster holder if they played Monopoly.

They said 'no'.

They shared that the Monopoly characters depicted "the NRA's monopoly money" in government.

Side two.

The ribbon I had picked up.
The last image capture at the bus stop across from the gathering.

After walking through the growing crowd, I noticed the bus had arrived... so I quickly made my way to it and captured the final image: the ribbon in my hand.

Ribbons have become identifiers to certain movements / protests / activism / causes, and it seems orange is the colored ribbon for this particular effort.

* Disclosures:

- I take no position regarding any of the images or messages in these posters, besides the AP class image (and discussion).

- My 'position' actually agrees and disagrees with all sides of this contentious topic, yet is far removed.

- I do find some of the images / messages difficult to rationalize and resolve either logically or in my heart, due to their aim and the humanity behind them.

- I am not a gun advocate, neither am I anti-gun... but I acknowledge the reality of this world and the common temptations of man, since I am a man and humanity's state is fallen / fallible.

- I desire to explore the human issues of fear, death, life, weapons - and the absence of - in the hands of government and / or individuals, and the blurred duality between a desire for peace and the reality of violence, and the hypocrisy of one method to achieve the other.

- I am pro-peace, pro-love, loving one's enemies.

- I don't perceive the earth as my 'home' nor my final abode, but a temporary place; a sojourn.

- I don't think there is a rational argument for violence, nor defense, considering the light of Christ and His Salvation.

- I do acknowledge the argument regarding self-defense, and thus consider that argument to also be a rational argument, realizing not all people 'see' things as I see them, nor will they, and I have to consider them as well.

- I owned weapons at one time, but I do not own any weapons now nor do I plan on owning any in the future.

- I do, however, wield the most powerful weapon known / unknown to mankind - the Word of God.

- This 'weapon' was gifted me and is a greater responsibility to wield than physical human weapons, which only cause harm.

- My gifted weapon causes 'harm' accordingly and only to God's justice, not my limited perception of justice, nor my feeble attempts at circumventing or promoting His justice... as humans tend to do.