Teens have come out in droves to rally for gun control in the wake of the Parkland shooting in Florida, with the student-organized March for Our Lives drawing hundreds of thousands in Washington D.C. and at sister marches around the U.S.
But one teenager does not back the gun control message, and is organizing his own "March for Our Guns" in response to the cries from many of his peers.
Aidan Jackson, a member of the Virginia Beach Young Republicans, plans to hold the pro-gun rally on April 21 at Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach—and is hoping to put across a different view to the one he has seen espoused by other teenagers.
"When I saw the 'March for Our Lives,' I saw a lot of people for gun control. Not every youth believes that. Gun control is not the answer," the 15-year-old told NBC4, although he did not comment on how many people he expected to show up to his rally.
Although Jackson said he did take part in one of the gun walk-outs at his own school, Ocean Lakes High School, following the Parkland shooting, the teenager used the day to send his own message.
Carrying a sign that said "Gun control is not the answer," Jackson's message was at odds with the majority of the students at his school—and some of them did not take the message well.
"Someone came up out of the blue, looked at me, read my sign and ripped my sign. The entire school applauded," he said, adding that he was later praised by a classmate for coping with the backlash—in a move that inspired him to set up his own march.
Jackson is also inviting those who disagree with him to take part in the rally, hoping that students will attend.
But the student population has been very vocal following the Parkland shooting about the need for gun control, urging politicians to take action, calling for them to reject NRA donations and pledging the Parkland shooting will be the last.
