NYC Teens Take Over Albany! |

On Tuesday, April 12th, nearly 200 NYC teens woke at the crack of dawn to board buses headed to Albany, New York. Beyond Bullets rode along with them as they prepared to lobby New York State and City legislators for sensible gun laws.

This annual event, organized by New Yorkers Against Gun Violence , gives teens throughout NYC an opportunity to learn about the legislative process and take direct action to help benefit their communities. The teens have been preparing for months, learning about specific bills and practicing their pitches.

In the meetings, the Representatives were respectful and supportive of the teen initiatives. Rarely did we find a dissenting viewpoint, which makes one wonder why these bills fail to get passed year after year. Luis Martinez, one of our student bloggers at EBT, made a sharp point in a meeting with Senator Milavé Dilan's office. He said, "For years we've been trying to pass these laws. They're not things we want, they're things we need. Are we waiting until half of America has to die before we make these changes?"

All in all, it was a successful day. The students felt empowered, and they represented themselves well. Beyond Bullets was proud to be represented during the student presentations, where they screened videos produced through our program.

The students themselves will have their say in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for their responses on BeyondBullets.org!