UVALDE One year later Uvalde families are changing Texas

 

A year ago we lost 21 beautiful souls in Uvalde.

That the massacre was preventable — if Texas had simply raised the age to purchase an AR-15, the 18-year old gunman would not have been able to purchase two semi-automatic assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition — made it all the more painful for everyone, especially the parents of the 19 fourth graders who were killed that day.

As we turn our hearts and prayers to these families on this one-year anniversary, we should also take a moment to recognize what they have done since May 24th, 2022. It can give us hope for the future and strengthen our resolve to do our part in preventing another tragedy like this one.

In the weeks after the shooting, Brett Cross, who lost his son Uziyah, confronted the Uvalde school district to force accountability at a local level. He stood vigil in front of the district office for 10 days, sleeping outside its doors, until they acknowledged their role in the Robb elementary shooting. The district trustees were no match for his persistence, and they ultimately suspended the entire district police department, many of whose officers did nothing while waiting outside the classroom where the shootings were taking place.

And then this year, he was joined by other parents and family members of the victims at the Texas legislature in Austin. Over the last five months, they have been meeting with state representatives and senators of both parties. They have made the effort to talk to anyone who will listen that raising the age of purchase for an assault rifle will save lives without compromising the second amendment rights that so many Texans hold sacred.

Their work finally paid off when a committee voted to send a bill to do just that to the full House, with two Republicans joining every Democrat on the committee. They proved that their tenacity and courage made a difference, even if the committee chair and senior Republican leadership later killed the bill in a most cowardly way. It might not pass this session, but by bringing both parties together on this, the ground had been laid for it to pass in a future one. 

They show us what true public service looks like. Nothing they are doing, including publicly reliving the most painful moments of their lives, will bring their children back. But everything they have done since the shooting one year ago is focused on saving the lives of other children across this state.

With tremendous love and gratitude for these families from Uvalde, I recommit myself and those with whom I work to supporting their work and ensuring that we ultimately succeed in putting the lives of our children before any other interest. 

Beto

 

PAID FOR BY POWERED BY PEOPLE, POWEREDXPEOPLE.ORG, NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE.