Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. North Park Elementary School. Umpqua Community College. Sandy Hook Elementary School. Virginia Tech University. Columbine High School. Tucson. Chicago. Detroit. Los Angeles. Baltimore. New York City.

In many communities, gun violence and the fear that comes with it have become almost as normal as paying the bills at the end of the month. From 1999 to 2016, 26,000 children and teenagers under 18 have been killed by gunfire, and gun-related injuries are the third leading cause of death for children, according to The Washington Post. In other communities, people are more and more frequently learning firsthand the true devastation that guns can cause.

The one thing that remains the same across all of these communities is the impact that gun violence has on the younger generation; children, hoping to make it to adulthood. According to the Brady Campaign, “Every day, 46 children and teens are shot in murders, assaults, suicides & suicide attempts, unintentional shootings, and police intervention.”

Every student has the potential to be affected by this issue. Students, many of whom are in the thick of everyday gun violence, are working hard to educate themselves, hoping they live long enough to enact change. As the rally cry of the March for Our Lives was shouted across the world, it is high time that everyone, not just those who have already been affected by gun violence, joins the movement led by students, for students.

It is important to remember that this is not a new problem, nor is it a new movement. The shooting at Columbine High School in 1999 sparked debates on access to guns, but led to very little actual policy change. The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 was thought to be the catalyst needed for stricter regulations to be passed yet, despite gaining national attention, the movement that followed resulted in little to no change on a federal level.

Moreover, marginalized communities — particularly communities of color and low income communities — that face gun violence on a daily basis have historically had their calls for help in reducing the number of weapons on the street fall on deaf ears. Where other movements at least had the benefit of media coverage, these people have only had each other to turn to.

What makes this milestone in the movement different from past attempts is the fervor with which students — the population most directly affected by gun violence — have risen up with clear, concise demands for common sense gun reform. Platforms such as the March for Our Lives not only reinforced the need for gun control within schools, but also a more broad application within city streets.

In Florida, as a result of relentless student lobbying, a person must now be 21 to purchase any kind of firearm; moreover, they have to wait three days to do it. This is a first step, sparked by young and powerful voices.

So what else does advocacy that works look like? Voting is considered to be the strongest tool in the social movement toolbox. In North Carolina, gun money runs deep. Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr are two of the biggest beneficiaries of the National Rifle Association. In fact, Burr received more money in 2016 than any other candidate in the U.S. Congress. Although neither are up for reelection this midterm, U.S. Representatives as well as members of the NC General Assembly are.

Every member of the General Assembly is up for reelection during the upcoming midterm election cycle. Furthermore, each member’s full voting history is available on the General Assembly’s website and sample ballots are also readily available. Finding out where candidates stand on gun control is not only easy, but vital in casting an informed vote.

NC State hosts students from all North Carolina districts and many other states. Whether your ballot is cast in your home district or in Raleigh, you have an influence on this election and this issue. If you turn 18 on or before election day, which this year is Nov. 6, then you are eligible to vote in the primaries — you are eligible to influence this issue. Twenty-six thousand people in the last two decades never received that chance.

This unsigned editorial is the opinion of the majority of Technician’s editorial board, and is the responsibility of the editor-in-chief.