Illustration by Heidi Wong ‘20
This past Saturday, March 24, many Hamilton students marched alongside over one million others in the multi-city March for Our Lives protest organized in response to the Parkland, F.L., shooting and the gun violence epidemic. Although the largest marches took place in Washington D.C. and other major cities, there was a significant turnout at smaller protests throughout the country, like White Plains and Utica, N.Y., as well as East Haddam, C.T., where Josephine (Josie) Blatt ’21, Ashley Huntington ’20, and Petra Elfstrom ’18 marched, respectively. They graciously agreed to share their respective March experiences with me.
Although the Parkland shooting was the spark for organizing March for Our Lives, all three women’s decision to march stemmed from a long-term frustration with governmental complacency regarding gun death that has been furthered by recent atrocities. Blatt was especially moved to march by recent school shootings and the inspiring activism of the Parkland students, “I decided to march because gun control has always been an extremely important issue to me. Also, I was very inspired by the activism of the Parkland high-schoolers on social media, and by seeing so many young people speak out against the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Congress. I wanted to be a part of that. Ever since Sandy Hook, I’ve gotten very emotional upon hearing about these horrific shootings, and after Parkland I really thought, when is this going to end?” Blatt was moved to act by the recent atrocity at Parkland and the students’ courage in their response. Parkland survivors have been speaking out in protests as well as in a variety of media platforms including “60 Minutes.” Their ability to repeatedly confront the trauma they survived in the name of change has been inspiring to many. In addition to the long term frustration shared among the three women, Huntington’s choice to march stemmed both from the courageous Parkland survivors and support of Black Lives Matter (BLM). Parkland survivors have been using their media platform to remind the public of how long gun violence has been ignored in black communities and how much important work BLM has done in drawing attention to the danger of guns and advocating for gun control. Huntington is also worried for the safety of those she cares about: “I want gun control. I want gun safety. I find it ridiculous how ‘normal’ it has become to read headlines of more school shootings, more gun deaths at the hands of police officers, and more gun deaths by domestic abuse. It sickens me. I actually fear constantly whether my brother, a junior in high school, will be another victim, or if my friends could be, or even if I will be next. It’s always running through my head. And it’s horrible.” Huntington recognizes the necessity of gun control not just in combating mass shootings, but also police brutality and the frequent incidents of gun violence that happen within communities that don’t make national news.
Huntington was impressed by the leadership shown by the students of Proctor High School in Utica who helped to lead the march that she attended. “The high-schoolers from Utica’s Proctor High School organized it along with other sponsors,” she said. “It was amazing seeing their leadership.” Although Huntington didn’t orchestrate the March herself, she still played a active role, “I did informally lead some chants while we marched.”
Elfstrom had the opportunity to speak at the roughly 500-person march that she attended in East Haddam, which her mother helped to organize. She was touched by the way that a teacher who was teaching in the Newtown High School on the day of the 2012 elementary school shooting responded to her speech. “[He] told me I captured the feelings he had had as a teacher at the high school in Newtown during the lockdown the day of the elementary school shooting,” she said. “He told my mother later that he realized that day that he would put himself between his students and a bullet in a second, but it was devastating to hear that, because that isn’t a conclusion anyone should have to make in a place of learning.” This teacher’s response gives us a insight into how emotional the March for Our Lives must have been for survivors of gun violence across the country who have already suffered great losses due to inadequate legislation.
Thankfully, all three protesters felt safe throughout their respective marches. For Blatt and Elfstrom, the presence of counter-protesters was unthreatening. Blatt described how marchers stood in front of a man holding up anti-abortion signs to peacefully challenge him and reject his ideology. Although Elfstrom also felt safe at her protest, she was upset that a nine year-old girl’s speech reminding marchers of the fundamental role of Black Lives Matter in the fight against gun violence was interrupted by a hateful counter-protest, “It was more sad than anything, because they were shouting things at us that didn’t even have anything to do with gun violence, like “Feminists Kill” and homophobic slurs. Equally upsetting and disgusting, but more confusing than anything. I just didn’t understand how they could stand there and shout over a nine-year-old giving a speech. I didn’t understand how they should be doing that looking at a long row of names of gun violence victims, the youngest two years old, that we’d put up along the road.”
All three women hope that the marches result in increased voter turnout in upcoming elections. They believe that that voting out representatives who receive donations from the NRA is a clear path to policy change. Huntington’s feelings about the importance of voting are very clear: “I think November’s elections could be a monumental moment. I really hope that all those attendees across the nation go out and vote. Hopefully the majority votes for people who will not be bought by the NRA and for people who are for common sense gun control laws.” Elfstrom feels similarly. “We need change in government policies and backing from those in power so that these things never happen again, and I hope our numbers and voices can do that or at least change enough minds of voters/ educate enough voters to be able to push out and replace those currently in power and not listening,” she said. Voting is the most powerful way for civilians who are otherwise uninvolved in government to support the ideas they believe in by voting in candidates who will implement supportive policies. Fortunately, voter registration was a heavy focus of the White Plains march that Blatt attended. “I was very impressed by the people who were at all the marches registering voters, even telling seventeen year-olds how to register in advanced,” she told me. “I think the voters who are just now turning eighteen can really be a huge force in the midterm election in November.”
Blatt, Huntington, and Elfstrom and a great many other Hamilton students who attended marches this past Saturday took an important step to demanding gun control by demonstrating to our representatives and our fellow citizens that this is not an issue people will roll over on. Many students at Hamilton are dedicated to being politically-engaged, as evidenced by the very successful protest organized by Hamilton students after the election of Donald Trump, Black and Latinx Student Union’s (BLSU) campaign to wear black in protest of the Parkland Shooting, and a variety of other events. However, the reality is that as busy colleges students, it can be difficult to find time to travel to and participate in off-campus protests on a regular basis. These students made use of break to do so but they also find ways to remain engaged in the fight for gun control while school is in session; there are many ways that student can support pressing causes that they care about even if getting to a protest is not an option. Blatt donated to Every Town for Gun Safety, an organization that advocates for common sense gun reform. Huntington has called her state representatives and senators to express her views on gun control. She is also in the midst of researching candidates for the upcoming November election so she can place an informed vote. Petra plans to join Together We Rise, the organization her mother is a part of which planned the March in East Haddam, C.T., once she graduates. These three women’s participation in the March for Our Lives as well as their other actions in support of gun control is a commendable model for how Hamilton students can support causes they believe in.
