INCLUDING ALBUQUERQUE, ARE TAKING ACTION AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

America has a gun problem. New Mexico has a gun problem. We all have a gun problem. And unless some mad scientist finds a way to make us all bulletproof like Superman, we’ll have to engage in more realistic means to curb the epidemic of gun violence in our country and culture.

Big news this year is that guns became the number one cause of death for children and teens in America. It’s more than car accident deaths and drug overdoses. And, according to one study, the leading cause of the leading cause is homicide, the numbers for which soared the last few years in comparison to, say, gun suicide.

Does the mere mention of guns—on our streets, in our schools, at public events—make you want to turn your mental channel to something chill like your kid’s fave episode of Peppa Pig? That’s understandable. But while many would like to think our country’s ethical challenges stop at the Land of Enchantment’s borders, it’s simply not the case. In fact, too often the gun plague has infected our families and children right here in Albuquerque.

According to the Journal, this year has seen more guns on APS campuses than ever before. And if anyone has anything to say about it, it’s our very own youth taking the lead. Students and their parents protested at West Mesa High School in late May against gun violence, and Farmington’s mass shooting woke up the sleepy town, where arguments about gun safety and mental health reared as vociferously as on the national stage. Governor Lujan-Grisham said she would pursue an assault weapons ban and age restrictions come the next legislative session; and Mayor Keller’s State of the City touted a “cracking down on guns.”

But while the City and APD are utilizing federal laws to help make Downtown Albuquerque “as safe as it should be,” it’s Generations Z and

Students and parents protest at West Mesa in late May against gun violence

Alpha working with their parents to affect lasting, systemically-minded change. Texas teens, too, have been mobilizing chapters of Students Demand Action since even before the Uvalde school massacre last year. These young people see the need for direct action and policy change. Perhaps they understand that the solutions are cultural, psychological, and structural, not just political. Multiple in-depth articles like Temple University’s speak to Americans reluctantly accepting the possibility or inevitability of being shot, as if it’s par for the course. These youth activists refuse to accept that notion and some adults are catching on, like Here 4 the Kids’ sitin at the Colorado State Capital just last month. That action was modeled after classic Civil Rights Era civil disobedience, from its non-violent stance to the makeup of its protesters.

However, these youthful stalwarts realize it will take more than protests. And they know it’s not just one politician responsible for everything; all have to be held accountable; and

More Guns in APS

better candidates are wanted. These young activists are hopefully typifying a more-informed electorate. And they’re going to be voting soon.

Students Demand Action

Temple University: Solving the Gun

West Mesa Protesters

Colorado Protests