In photo at left, Max Gomez, 10, of Marlboro, is joined by his sister, Veronica, and parents, Barbara and Michael, at a White House press conference during which President Barack Obama addressed the issue of gun violence in America. Max’s letter (below) caught the president’s attention and earned the young man an invitation to Washington, D.C. When Max Gomez, 10, learned of the tragic Dec. 14 shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., he addressed a handwritten plea for gun control to President Barack Obama. In response, the Marlboro youngster received an invitation to visit the White House in Washington, D.C.
White House staff members, stirred by the heartfelt letter, asked Max and his family to attend Obama’s Jan. 16 press conference on firearms, during which the president announced the signing of 23 executive orders aimed at curbing gun violence.
While in the nation’s capital, Max said, he met Vice President Joe Biden, members of Congress and family members of the victims of the Newtown shooting. Obama himself even commended Max for writing the letter, he said.
“It was amazing. I was speechless,” Max said of the honor. “I was happy and nervous at the same time.”
Along with his parents, Barbara and Michael Gomez, and his sister, Veronica, Max sat in a reserved row of seats as the president outlined his gun control plan. Behind Max sat the White House Press Corps and in front of him, United States representatives. When the family initially discovered that Max’s letter had made an impact, Barbara Gomez found the news hard to believe, she said.
It was not until they came face to face with U.S. Secret Service agents that reality set in, Max added.
After being led to the room in which the press conference would be held, the boy became awestruck, he said.
“Dear Mr. President, I am 10 years old and live in Marlboro, NJ, and I am scared. Please, we need to change the constitution. We need gun control in America. I believe in you. Thank you for all you do. Please write back. Happy Holidays. Your Friend, Maximo Gomez P.S. My bulldog says hi to Bo.” The experience taught Max that however small his voice may seem, his words hold weight, he said. Max said he believes it is important for everybody — children included — to express their beliefs.
“Talk just like I did,” he added. “When you talk, things happen. Write what you believe in.”
His mother, whose family emigrated from Cuba in search of freedom, said she was especially pleased with Max’s accomplishment.
“For my son to allow me to join him at the White House to honor that freedom that we worked so hard to attain was an honor beyond belief,” Barbara Gomez said. “I am an extremely proud mom.”
Cheryl Castell, Max’s fifth-grade homeroom and social studies teacher at the Frank Defino Central Elementary School, Marlboro, said her lesson about presidential elections enthralled Max. Subsequent civics lectures inspired him to take part in class discussions, Castell noted.
“We also went into quite a bit about being a good citizen and what it means to be able to live here and participate in the government. This seemed to be of interest to him,” Castell said. “Maybe those words we discussed were in his head.”
Government officials kept the nature of Max’s trip to the White House a secret, even to the family, until shortly before the event, Barbara Gomez said.
Only certain Marlboro K-8 School District administrators knew of the situation beforehand, Castell said.
As a result, Max’s classmates were happily surprised when they found out their peer had been the president’s guest, Castell said.
“I really did witness the fact that they all took some joy and pleasure in his experience,” she said, adding that Max was eager to pass around photos and souvenirs from his visit.
Despite meeting various politicians on one side of a heated issue, Max’s greatest memory of the journey illustrates the simple joys of children. He said the highlight is a no-brainer: watching Bo, the Obama family’s Portuguese water dog, play on the White House lawn.