FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Press Contact: Jessica Ortiz, [email protected]
“Lawmakers’ platitudes for our slaughtered children mean nothing when their policy choices enable regular massacres.”
San Antonio, TX – In response to the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and 2 adults were killed, RAICES Texas released the following statement:
“Our hearts are shattered. Gun violence has tragically taken the lives of 19 children and 2 teachers in our own community and today all of us mourn.
“Our lawmakers could have prevented this tragedy. Time and again in the wake of mass shootings, our country grieves while our government fails to take any urgent and necessary action to enact common sense gun laws. Just last September, Governor Abbott proudly enacted a slew of pro-gun legislation including permitless carry shortly after dozens of Texans were killed in mass shootings in Odessa and El Paso.
“It’s abundantly clear that lawmakers both in Texas and in the federal government care more about lining their pockets with National Rifle Association (NRA) donations than protecting the lives of our children and our communities. In just a few days, the elected leaders of our state – Governor Abbot, Senator Cruz, and Rep. Crenshaw – will be speaking at the NRA’s convention in Houston, lobbying for loosened gun laws while entire communities in our state attempt to recover from this unbearable loss.
“Lawmakers’ platitudes for our slaughtered children mean nothing when their policy choices enable regular massacres. We are merely 10 days out from the white supremacist murder of 10 Black people in Buffalo, and have had nearly 200 preventable mass shootings this year – more than the number of days passed in 2022. Because of lawmakers’ loyalty to the gun lobby, nowhere is safe from gun violence. This bloodshed is on their hands.
“No thoughts and prayers via tweets or press statements nor any investigation into this crime will prevent the next massacre. And any calls or attempts to increase border patrol in a predominantly Hispanic and immigrant town will do nothing to prevent future loss of life. It will only serve to further harm and terrorize a community in deep mourning. We have had enough meaningless tearful pleas of coming together for the sake of bipartisanship. We need lawmakers to put the safety of our people and our children before the gun lobby and immediately pass legislation restricting access to firearms.”
###
The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees. Learn more at Raicestexas.org.
Share This Page
