My revolution this year is protecting women, children and men from the trigger happy police who have wrecked havoc in our communities. It is a sad period in our culture where we have to teach our children to be cautious around the people who have pledged to protect and serve. Sadly, Victor Villapando, a 16 year old rising star in Espanola, New Mexico was shot to death in broad daylight just a few months after Espanola’s first Rising Event, where we marched to City Hall with Environmental Activist Winona LaDuke. Victor’s younger sister had played a big role in organizing this event, was one of the youth who coordinated the Recycled “Trashin’ Show,” marched to city hall with Winona, and traveled with us to Santa Fe to participate in the Rising at the Roundhouse. None of us could have imagined the tragedy that lay ahead. Mayor Alice Lucero, and the Espanola City Council had declared February 14, 2014 “Espanola Rising Day.” This event was so successful, that Eve Ensler had heard about it. It is clear we have much more work to do. The 2015 Espanola Rising will be in remembrance of Victor, and all women, children, and men who have lost their lives to senseless gun violence.