Jazmin cazares

My name is Jazmin Cazares. 6 months ago, my little sister Jackie Cazares was 9 years old, when an 18 year old with an AR-15 walked into her classroom and killed her at RobbElementary in Uvalde, Tx. Since then, our families have marched, protested, lobbied, and spoke to the people who we believe can help us make progress. Then the first piece of gun safety legislation passed in almost 30 years. For that we are extremely grateful, but we also believe so much more that can be done to potentially save lives. That’s why we are fighting for an assault weapons ban. To make it just a little bit harder for someone with an AR-15 to ruin your life, the same way ours have been ruined. Being in this club is something nobody wants, but when our leaders fail to act, you can be the next person standing next to us. Coming together in this way is beautiful. The relationships that have been formed out of these tragedies are so bittersweet.

We shouldn’t have to be here, but since we are, I’m thankful these are the people I’m surrounded with. My sister was a light in the darkness and she was loved more than she will ever know. Today we are here to remember Jackie, her classmates and teachers. We are here to remember every person whose lives were cut too short due to senseless acts of gun violence.