To the Editor:
Young people are desensitized to gun violence. More specifically, we ignore and subconsciously suppress why we intuitively search our classrooms for blunt objects and nearby “hiding spots” just in case a bad guy walks in to kill us.

Meanwhile, our expectations for meaningful change out of Washington remain unfulfilled and merely exemplify that there are more guardians of gridlock than commanders of compromise.

That said — we are far from cynical and resigned. Students have sent a message to our legislators that these senseless attacks are not normal, nor inevitable — that the students who died in Parkland and Uvalde and all the other schools that now live in infamy don’t deserve legacies merely as pawns for thoughts and prayers rather than for action and change.

Student-led advocacy efforts against gun violence are seeing successes throughout the country, and we are emboldened by those successes to persevere.

Our county legislature is undoubtedly listening to our message. On Jan. 28, the Albany County Legislature and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office hosted the first DISCOVER [Detailed Instruction Supporting COmmunity Violence Education and Reduction] gun buyback event — an effort launched by legislator Dustin Reidy. To say that the event was successful would be an understatement.

The DISCOVER program — which passed with (extraordinarily) unanimous support — doesn’t just promote responsible gun ownership and prevent gun violence. It restores confidence in government for young people like me. It demonstrates to us that hard work and an astute focus on an issue can yield legislative change with tremendous downstream positive effects on regular people, including kids and teachers in classrooms.

For that, I am enormously grateful.

Conor Webb

Guilderland

Editor’s note: See related editorial.