On Tuesday, a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, claiming the lives of 19 children and two teachers that we know of so far. In response, Senator Patricia Torres Ray (DFL-Minneapolis) released the following statement:
“There are no words to describe the horror, pain, grief, and anger felt by so many across the nation and the world right now. As a parent, I cannot even begin to imagine the anguish felt by those whose children did not return home from Robb Elementary school yesterday.
Many will say it’s too soon after the tragedy to start talking about gun violence – but I say it’s too late. How many more innocent people have to die before we finally decide, collectively, to stand up to the gun lobby? How much longer are we expected to postpone the overdue conversations about the reasons why the United States has some of the worst rates of mass shootings in the world? We refuse to stay silent.
It is clear that we have a hate problem directed at minorities and a gun problem in America. The incident in Texas is the latest in a spree of deadly shootings targeting minority groups in the United States. We must test the capacity of our nation to protect our children and our families at this moment by responding immediately and standing up to the gun lobby. Gun violence is a public health crisis.
As law makers and community leaders, we call on every parent, teacher, student, and every person who condemns violence and hatred to rise to the moment and demand change. We are here to let you know that we are ready to stand up against this senseless violence.
Learn more about Sen. Torres Ray.
Read more news from Sen. Torres Ray.
