John–
Twelve years ago, I lived in Sandy Hook when the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary took place. And yet again, gun violence has reached my backyard.
At 11:45 a.m. last Wednesday, I started receiving screenshots from a friend. They were of a conversation between one of her friends and their dad about a shooting happening in their school.
They were scary and triggering to read.
It wasn't until later in the day that I found out that the shooting was at Apalachee High School, a school just 45 minutes from my own.
I began to worry about the students and teachers from Apalachee, some of whom I had just gotten to know through a school trip earlier this summer. And when I heard that two students and two teachers were killed, grief overwhelmed me.
My friends and I couldn't help but be glued to our phones and the news all day. We were sad, scared, and angry.
Through my experiences volunteering with Students Demand Action I knew what to do next. I knew to channel my sadness and anger into quick action. I was able to share our trauma-informed resources with my school's Students Demand Action chapter and beyond to help my school community cope with the tragedy.
And that's what we're going to keep doing this weekend.
Because our lawmakers are failing us, every day, young people like me are facing the threat of gun violence in places we should feel safe: our classrooms.
Gun violence affects our communities every day, not just every time it's in the news. And we will not accept this as a "fact of life" as some politicians would like us to.
John, channel your anger into action with us and join our Freedom from Gun Violence Weekend of Action to organize your community to support Gun Sense Candidates.
Tragedies like the one at Apalachee High School are a direct result of lax gun safety policies. And they are a clear reminder of how crucial it is that we elect the right people to office.
Students like me and those at Apalachee High School who are waiting for their chance to vote are counting on everyone who can vote to elect leaders who will protect us—not continually put us in danger.
Whether it's canvassing for Gun Sense Candidates, tabling at community events, or spreading the word on social media, it is crucial that we all help to get out the vote.
Up and down the ballot, each election is vital to finally creating a future free from gun violence.
We are choosing to fight fear with action and turn our pain into purpose. Join us for a Weekend of Action to help us get out the vote for Gun Sense Candidates across the country.
Thank you for taking action,
Sophie Chang
She/Her/Hers
Georgia Students Demand Action
P.S. If there's not an event near you this weekend, you can still get involved. Sign up to mobilize gun sense voters from home with the Gun Sense Action Network.
