Tragedy in Austria

The world is responding to another tragedy. Yesterday, when I was visiting family, I saw on the news that Austria is mourning the loss of 10 individuals whose lives were taken in a school shooting. After doing more research, seven women and three men, including a teacher, are gone. The perpetrator was about 21 years old. Why the past tense? He committed suicide in the bathroom—a former student, like many of the main demographics of people who commit these crimes. We send our love to the victims, their families, and everyone else who is emotionally impacted by this tragedy.

This cannot be how the world operates. There is no sense in the reality of humans killing other humans. These lives could have still been thriving if the former student had been stopped moments before. Since he is gone, we will never know if he was filled with anger because of a certain moment or needed help to recover from poor mental health. It is such a shame that 10 people, along with others, were expecting a tranquil and productive day at school, only to not make it back. Change will not come from the sky; it comes from us, influenced by our emotions and hearts, to realize how much of a problem gun violence is.

School violence incidents are not just a national problem; they are an international problem. At Will You Hear Me Now?, young voices represent not just themselves, but holistically, we speak out for the ones lost to gun violence. There is no time to waste. Let this be a reminder that life is way too short to give up on making a difference. Times are troubling, but we can make them peaceful with a very powerful instrument that is a gift to us all: a voice. We all have a voice, and until the songs are listened to, until the speeches are heard, until the cries for justice are answered, the fight is not over.

To join our team of student activists or learn more about “Will You Hear Me Now?” email us at info@willyouhearmenow.com. To contribute funds to help us with post-production and distribution of our film projects, please visit our GoFundMe and give what you can. To stay on top of our projects in real time, check back here often.