On December 14, 2012, I was a senior at Shepaug Valley High School, not too far from the Sandy Hook School. I was in class when I found out that there was a shooting in Sandy Hook. When I got home later that day, I was deeply troubled to learn that the number of casualties at Sandy Hook was double that of Columbine. I was also troubled by the NRA’s recommendation that armed guards be placed in every school. If we got to the source of the problem and tightened firearm regulations, it wouldn’t be necessary to have armed guards at schools to begin with.
If the Sandy Hook School massacre were an isolated incident, it would have been bad enough. However, what is worse is that mass shootings in the United States have become so commonplace that they now barely get mentioned in the news. It is also problematic that a number of mass shootings have been based on the hatred of an individual's race, sexual orientation, or religion, such as the shootings at the Charleston church, Orlando nightclub, and Pittsburgh synagogue, respectively.
I ride to raise awareness of gun violence and to advocate for greater firearm regulations. The system is broken. “Thoughts and prayers" will not do anything to fix it.
Sandy Hook Ride on Washington
THE WE ARE ONE RIDE
Team 26 will ride from Newtown to Pittsburgh.
We will leave Newtown on April 26th and arrive in Pittsburgh on May 2nd with stops in Peekskill, Morristown, Trenton, Philadelphia, the University of Delaware, Baltimore, Gettysburg, and many small towns.
Our message remains the same:
Peace, Hope, Love.
To reduce gun violence, we must all come together as one Nation to stomp out hate.
So, we'll ride to Pittsburgh uniting Newtown with Squirrel Hill and all communities in between.
We will ride with Charlestown, Christchurch, Sutherland Springs, and Oak Creek in our hearts.
An attack on one faith is an attack on all faiths.
Sandy Hook Ride on Washington