Several dozen students, along with adult chaperones, left early Saturday morning to join the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C.
“We are here and we need things to change because our lives matter too,” Sydni Naylor said.
Naylor is proud to be part of a group from the Wilson-Gray YMCA in Hartford that is participating in the March in the nation's capital.
“I’m excited because I want to get the word out there that there is an issue that needs to be solved,” Tristan Williams, of Hartford, said.
They will link up with an estimated half-million people rallying to bring about tougher gun laws following the massacre at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
“It’s like, am I next? Basically, it’s a scary feeling to have,” Tyler Williams of Hartford, said.
For the group from the YMCA, they say this is not just a moment, but a movement.
Their eyes are set on laws involving gun sales, background checks, and enforcement.
“We are willing to put the effort and time into making these things change because we care about each other,” Naylor said.
“It’s very inspiring to see young folk coming together, galvanize, utilize their voices,” Anthony Barrett, Wilson-Gray YMCA executive director, said.
Gun rights supporters acknowledge the passion of the youth, but they don’t think the long-term consequences are being considered, especially when it comes to the Second Amendment.
“We are in a situation right now where we have kids trying to affect and impact legislation where they don’t fully understand what it means to have rights, to be able to exercise rights,” Scott Wilson, CCDL president, said.
