For the vast majority of America’s youth who refused to be used as a political pawn in Saturday’s anti-gun marches, I congratulate you!

It is courageous to stand for freedom against government tyranny, especially when your peers are receiving breathless praise from the nation’s media outlets. This is why you, as the vast majority of America’s youth, should not remain silent as your fellow students claim to speak for you in demanding that your right to self-defense be given away. Your right to self-defense is not theirs to give.

It seems that Saturday’s anti-gun march found few, if any, people who value liberty. Unlike other civil rights marches in U.S. history, Saturday’s gun control rally was really an anti-civil rights rally; it was an entirely un-American experience. These marchers seek not to expand your freedoms, but to deprive you and your family of your fundamental right to self-defense. And just like retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens argued yesterday, many of the marchers desire the elimination of the Second Amendment, which guarantees your individual right to effective self-defense.

Don’t be fooled. You should never give away your right to defend yourself and those you care about. Once gone, you will never get this right back.

What is the best proof that good guys with guns stop bad guys from doing bad things? Well, how about we look to the hypocrite celebrities, plutocrats, and politicians, who are surrounded by legal, armed mercenaries (known as their security details), but want you and your peers to give up your rights to defend yourself.

Their game is simply a con. Tell them to get rid of their armed guards first. When they speak about gun control, what they’re really saying to you is: “Guns for me, but not for thee.” Tell those anti-gun hypocrites rich enough to hire their own armed security teams: “You first!”

These march organizers and sponsors are not your friends. When they say we should “stand up to the NRA,” what they’re really asking is that your government prevent millions of people from defending themselves against bigger, stronger, and quicker criminal predators. This means your grandparents, your moms, and your girlfriends will have no reasonable way to defend themselves.

Real life is not a Hollywood movie. The Atomic Blonde, Charlize Theron, can’t take out a half a dozen East German security agents; superhero Scarlett Johanasen can’t beat up a man twice her size.

When the latest protest march ends, many of these anti-gun hypocrites will go home to their secure well-guarded compounds, and you will just go home. No armed guards and electric gates for you.

And for those who may think they’re ‘sticking it to the man’ by begging politicians to take away your civil right of self-defense, the reality is that this is exactly what ‘the man’ wants to do. You are insuring your own helplessness.

If you enjoy being helpless, then this ginned-up anti-gun children’s crusade is the perfect cause for you.

Does a gun guarantee your safety – no. But it gives you a fighting chance against an armed or larger attacker.

The tragedy of the Parkland school shooting was a failure of the police, the FBI, and the school system, all of whom had multiple opportunities to stop the killer, Nikolas Cruz. Instead they all failed! Now they want to blame Guns!!! Of course they do. Otherwise they’d have to accept the blame themselves. Don’t be a sucker and fall for this con.

Many of the same people who didn’t protect the Parkland students want you to be unable to protect yourself. How can that make sense? All of this anti-gun nonsense is simply to distract you from seeing the failure of those in authority. Why will it be different next time?

And who do they wish to punish for their mistakes and incompetence? The millions of law-abiding and gun-owning Americans who had nothing to do with the crime.

Nobody (except maybe your parents) is more interested in preserving your life than you are. Don’t give up your only realistic life preserver – a firearm.

And don’t imagine that your anti-gun peers are currently being lionized by the media because of their intelligence, independence, and common sense. Being led around by the nose by sanctimonious celebs and politicians with their own political agenda shows neither courage nor leadership. It shows just the opposite.

Still not convinced that you shouldn’t give up your right to a gun?

Then see what happens when you tell those well-guarded billionaires and celebrities who want you to disarm: “You First!”

Mark W. Smith is an attorney and a bestselling author.