Written By: Ru Xue Jiang
AYLUS Dix Hills actively collaborated with Long Island March For Our Lives to combat gun violence. They joined forces with other organizations such as Moms Demand Action, the League of Women Voters, and AYLUS Syosset in front of the Nassau County Legislature building in Mineola. Together, they showcased signs that had quotes and statistics regarding gun-related tragedies, particularly mass and school shootings in America. Their main focus was to educate themselves and support the event speakers. Various organizations and leaders delivered speeches, stressing the significance of raising awareness about the impact of gun violence on all communities, particularly children and minorities.
During the event, Sally Jamieson, Trien Song, and Dahlia Solomon from the March for Our Lives group, along with their co-sponsor from the Nassau County Legislature, Josh Lafazan, delivered a speech. They highlighted the prevalence of shootings in the past two years, which has unfortunately become somewhat normalized. They emphasized the urgent need for change and demanded legislative action. Jimmy Dougherty from Moms Demand Action shared his personal experience of being directly affected by gun violence at a concert, witnessing thousands of people being shot, including himself. Additionally, pediatrician Dr. Eve Meltzer Krief discussed the emotional impact of hearing about school shootings and the alarming fact that guns have become the leading cause of death among children. The participants and members expressed similar sentiments, recognizing the importance of taking action to ensure community safety.
The event received coverage from news stations like News12 and Newsday, as well as personal recorders like Christopher Acebo. This coverage resulted in articles, videos, and news reports. AYLUS Dix Hills aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the issues affecting their community and the nation as a whole. While they acknowledged that rallies alone might not lead to significant changes in the county legislature, they believed it was crucial for groups like theirs to make the effort and stand up for these issues.
Volunteers: Ru Xue Jiang (2 hrs), Sara Kong (1.5 hrs), Jason Chen (1.5 hrs), Ming Chen (1.5 hrs), Jeremy Fang (1.5 hrs), Jeffery Fang (1.5 hrs), Ivan Wu (1.5 hrs), Matthew Wu (1.5 hrs), Ethan Recientes (1.5 hrs), Daniel Fan (1.5 hrs)
