March rez Posted

read the March issue of rez in Issuu:

Our March issue is dedicated to the victims of gun violence, and that includes a broad network of the victims themselves and their family members and close friends. Actually, it includes us all. It’s inspiring to hear our students ask the tough questions of our elder leaders. After all, the world is theirs to inherit, not ours. They ask, “Why can’t you fix this problem?” Their leaders, our leaders, in the face of one unspeakable tragedy after another, twist themselves in knots trying to answer that simple question. Today’s youth aren’t buying it, and they’re the electorate of tomorrow. The NRA’s tired refrain is “Guns don’t kill people - - people kill people.”  Well, that’s not exactly true.  People with guns kill people. “Why should 18-year olds be able to buy AR-15s with high capacity clips, fitted with bump stocks?”  While our leaders mumble incoherently, more of our precious treasure is slaughtered. Incomprehensibly, the NRA offers a cynical  reply - - we need more guns, as if hundreds of millions aren’t enough.  This time is different, however, with corporate sponsors challenging that twisted logic.  Enough is enough. Time to speak out or forever hold our peace. And speak out our writers did. Jullianna Juliesse vents her anger and frustration so eloquently, her words are painful to read. When Zymony Guyot tells if like it is, it hurts. Dearstluv Writer speaks of lost innocence. Cat Boccaccio writes of a gun fatality that sickens us.  But this month’s issue also includes breathtaking stories of self-discovery (Pepper Chaffe brings us a rich and lovely parable about what that light at the end of the tunnel might signify), mystery (Wu teases us with another installment of She Rezzed, leaving us on the edge of our seats), and an alternate world filled with owls and AIs (Art Blue challenges us with his vision of space, time and “presence.”) Every day we face the same challenge: we can anaesthetize ourselves to a world gone mad and numb ourselves to the suffering, or we can stand together and demand the change we so desperately need. Real power is never given - - it’s seized. rez Magazine joins with the #enough movement, stands in solidarity with high school students thrust into the middle of this debate, and makes one clear statement, however humble it might be:  enough!