By KIRSTEN LASKEYLos Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
During the March for Our Lives event Saturday in Santa Fe, three Los Alamos High School students, Sonyia Williams, Leah Wolfsberg and Thomas Chadwick are scheduled to speak and share their thoughts on gun control and school safety.
The event begins at noon at the Roundhouse and ends with a rally in the Santa Fe Plaza.
Marika Sinnis, an organizer for the event, explained the purpose of the rally and march is to promote comprehensive gun control and demand that the lives and safety of children, parents, teachers and students be made a priority.
Sinnis, along with others, started the event with a Facebook post and the New Mexicans To Prevent Gun Violence reached out to help.
Chadwick explained why he decided to participate in the march.
“I think that young people have a critical role to play in current political issues. Yes, in many cases, we are too young to vote and therefore often considered too young to have a voice worth listening to,” he said. “But the youth of America represent a diverse set of educated and passionate young adults that will soon have the power to vote and decide the direction of this country. When I look around my school, I see a vast set of individuals that are optimistic about the future, believing that laws or precedents set today – if deficient – are reversible tomorrow and that real progress is possible.”
“Gun laws in this country are a disgrace, and it seems clear that the Second Amendment is the root cause of irrational gun laws,” Chadwick said. “Earlier today, I was shocked and amused when I read in this month’s New York Review Of Books that completely blind people in Iowa can carry a loaded firearm in public, seemingly contradicting all reasonable thought processes. It should also be noted that the Constitution, for all its merits, is a document that bears signs of human folly. The Constitution did not include the right for women to vote until it was added in 1920 under the 19th Amendment.
“Furthermore, the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery was not passed until 1865, and the 14th Amendment was blatantly subverted for another century. It is the role of the people to ensure that the Constitution supports the Common Good. These United States need to overturn individual’s ‘sacred’ right to own guns. The NRA says that the Second amendment is sacred. I say the lives of each and every one of us is far more sacred.”
Williams offered her reasons for participating in the march.
“I am participating in this march because I believe it is time for the voice of students to be heard on the topic of gun control because we are the ones that are most affected by the gun violence occurring at schools throughout the country,” she said. “Students have initiated change in the past, so we should continue to use this power to invoke change that directly affects our safety and our lives. More than 20 students have already been killed this year in school shootings, and it is time for something to change before any more lives are lost. It is time for students to advocate for their own lives, and I hope this march sparks legislative discussion regarding regulations for increased safety measures in schools and increased regulations on guns so that those who are not mentally nor physically able to safely own a gun cannot attain one.”
“I became involved with this march through Margo Batha and the Hilltalkers (the speech and debate program at LAHS),” Williams added. “Natalie Sinnis, one of the coordinators of the march, approached Mrs. Batha for suggestions of students who could speak at the march and I was approached by Mrs. Batha and agreed to participate. I was also formerly involved with this cause by being one of the student coordinators for the walkout at LAHS on March 14. I am excited for this march and for my voice to be heard by a large crowd of people from all across Northern New Mexico and for having the chance to share my opinions to those outside Los Alamos. It is truly an honor to be involved with something so much bigger than myself, my high school, and my town and I am ready to seize this opportunity to hopefully initiate state-wide change along with my fellow students.”
To help support the march, students are selling T-shirts for $20 starting Tuesday. Additionally, there is a GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/march-for-our-lives-santa-fe . For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/157214018313531/ .