DENVER — Young activists, all under the age of 18, organized Denver's March for Our Lives rally on Saturday.
"I didn't get to choose to be a school shooting survivor, but I can choose to take action so that more people don't have to feel the way I feel," said Lucy Sarkissian, 17. “I’m one of 311,000 who has experienced this trauma and we have over 585 students who have died in their schools as a result of shootings and that’s not politics. That’s about whether or not you care about the dignity of human life.”
Lucy survived the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting in 2019. They suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of it. Fireworks, popping balloons, and thunderstorms are still difficult for them to be around.
“I actually ended up moving to online school because the stress of being in a school building was too much for me to handle anymore and I’m still in therapy trying to work through what happened and everything like that," they said.
Lucy said speaking at rallies helps them make meaning out of their experience.
"I showed up today for the kids who don't get to be here anymore, for all the kids who've died in school shootings and don't get to live their futures," they said. "I’m here so we don’t have more deaths, more broken families, more traumatized kids.”
Lucy said while they can't turn back time and undo the shooting, they can find purpose in their trauma.
"My generation's not backing down from this fight. We've been fighting for this for four years and either it's time for us to change the laws or we're going to change the lawmakers," they said.
Gun laws remain politically divisive and Lucy is frustrated with lawmakers who vote against stricter measures. They want to see more done at the state and federal level.
"You don't have to be an adult, you don't have to be a part of government to be involved in political change and activism," said lead organizer of the rally, Brady Roland.
Brady, 17, said she learned what a lockdown drill was when she was in kindergarten.
"It's been 12 years since then and I still get extremely anxious because it's not just a drill, it could happen the next day," said Brady.
They're pleading for someone to listen and hope their activism will help save lives.
"Listen to the youth. Most of our politicians now, with the exception of some, were out of high school before Columbine ever happened. I would love to see any politician go through a lockdown drill the way we make first graders go through lockdown drills in this country. They can try hiding under their desk, practicing it," said Lucy. "They don't realize this is an entire generation that has been traumatized by shootings."
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