Will You Hear Me Now?

WYHMN?’s 1st Anniversary

May 24th marks the first anniversary of the ‘Will You Hear Me Now?’ organization! What was once an idea has expanded into an organization raising awareness for mental health and gun violence. While young people feel strongly about gun violence, it is difficult for them to get heard by lawmakers. My name is Gavin and I am a high school student who can speak up about gun violence thanks to the platform provided by ‘WYHMN?’. To assist other young people in being recognized by lawmakers, ‘WYHMN?’ aims to increase its influence. Between creating documentaries and expanding its team, the ‘WYHMN?’ organization has widened its capabilities, allowing us to raise awareness in more ways.

 One way of raising gun violence awareness is by informing people about real incidents involving gun violence. It is for this reason that the rest of this blog post is dedicated to the Uvalde school shooting. On May 24, 2022, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos stormed the Robb Elementary School with his semi-automatic assault rifle. Ramos was able to obtain the weapons due to the relaxed legislation on firearms in Texas. The high schooler was not in a good state of mind, and accessing a firearm only amplified his irrational thinking.

In under an hour, nineteen children and two adults were killed. The children were no older than 11, with the youngest being Jackie Cazares at nine. The students were athletes and dancers with bright ambitions for their futures. Sadly, their lives were unfairly cut short by a single person with a firearm. It is so tragic that children as young as nine are unsafe in their schools. I worry for my younger brother’s safety when I think of this incident. If elementary schoolers must worry about a shooter, should my 7th[1]grade brother have to worry? It must be terrible for parents who are hesitant to send their children to school, fearing their kids may be gunned down. School is one of the few times their children are out of their protection.

In response to the Uvalde school shooting, some Texas schools have encouraged their students to write letters to their governor to make laws that would reduce gun violence. One Robb Elementary student wrote, “I don’t feel safe in school now.” To hear an elementary schooler talk about not feeling safe in their schools is heartbreaking. When students are vulnerable at school, they can develop depression, anxiety, or even insomnia. Kids’ voices have little impact with lawmakers, so only their parents hear them. Gun violence is an epidemic plaguing America, and little if nothing changed even after another student snaps, someone else marches to school with a firearm, and more innocent lives are taken. If we want the next generation to succeed, we must secure their learning environments as safe spaces. Students know this but lack the platform to get their concerns out. That is why I joined ‘WYHMN?’ and why our mission is important. We value all of you for your support because the more influence the ‘Will You Hear Me Now?’ organization has, the more impact the youth have on their legislatures. Thank you all for looking out for your families by helping grow our organization.

Editor’s Note: Gavin is a graduating high school senior and the newest board member of Will You Hear Me Now?

To learn more about “Will You Hear Me Now?” email us at wyhmnblog@willyouhearmenow.com. To help us with post-production and distribution of our upcoming film, please visit our GoFundMe and give what you can. To stay on top of our project in real time, check back here often. Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter/X at https://twitter.com/willyouhearme1. We’ve just added a change.org petition to help us drive traffic and amplify the voices of students, who, though too young to vote, need to make their voices and concerns heard. You can find that petition here or scan the QR code to go to the site and sign up.