As U.S. lawmakers clash with gun violence legislation following several deadly mass shootings, three different voices emerged in Washington on Tuesday that made passionate calls: celebrity, survivor and grieving son.
Actor Matthew McConaughey, whose hometown is Uvalde, Texas, the scene of a deadly shooting in elementary school two weeks ago, met with U.S. President Joe Biden. Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head in 2011 in a mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, gave a press conference in front of the Washington Monument. And Garnell Whitfield Jr., whose mother was the eldest of 10 victims shot at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
These are his thoughts on what steps the United States should take on weapons.
The celebrity
McConaughey made an emotional call for arms control measures after a brief meeting with Biden.
Nineteen children and two teachers were shot dead at Robb Elementary School in their hometown of Uvalde, Texas on May 24 by an 18-year-old gunman who opened fire with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle.
“Uvalde is where I was taught to worship the power and ability of the tool we call a weapon. Uvalde is where I learned to be responsible for weapons,” the 52-year-old Oscar winner told reporters.
He specifically called on Congress to step up background checks on gun purchases and raise the minimum age for buying an AR-15-style rifle to 21 of 18.
TARGET | McConaughey calls for gun control:
Matthew McConaughey calls for gun control
Actor Matthew McConaughey talks about child victims of school shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, and calls for gun control measures, following a meeting with US President Joe Biden
“As we honor and acknowledge the victims, we must acknowledge that this time it seems like something is different,” he said.
McConaughey said he visited the White House to try to make the moment a reality.
The survivor
Eleven years ago, Giffords, then a Democratic congressman, was shot in the head during an assassination attempt outside a grocery store in Tuscon, Arizona, leaving her seriously injured.
Six people were killed, including the chief federal judge and a nine-year-old girl, by a 22-year-old gunman with a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol. Gifford’s injuries left him with difficulty walking and occasionally difficulty to speak.
Surrounded by more than 45,000 small vases of white and orange flowers representing each of the Americans killed by armed violence each year, Giffords held a press conference on Tuesday and renewed her call for stricter gun laws.
TARGET | Giffords calls for stricter gun laws:
Gabby Giffords urges U.S. lawmakers to be bold with guns
Description: Former gunwoman and victim of a gun crime, Gabby Giffords, held a news conference in front of the Washington Monument on Tuesday and urged Democratic and Republican lawmakers to have the courage to “do the right thing.”
“Stopping armed violence requires courage, the courage to do what is right,” Giffords said. “We must never stop fighting. Be brave. Be brave. The nation is counting on you.”
Giffords founded a gun violence advocacy group urging the Senate to pass legislation requiring universal background checks on all arms sales, to confirm Steve Dettelbach as director of the Office of Alcohol, Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives, and for the Biden administration to develop a Comprehensive Strategy against Armed Violence.
The afflicted son
Whitfield is the son of Ruth Whitfield, the eldest of 10 victims killed in a mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, on May 14. Police allege the 18-year-old gunman was motivated by racial hatred and violent extremism.
Whitfield testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and urged lawmakers to take action against “cancer of white supremacy” and armed violence.
TARGET | Whitfield to the Senate Judiciary Committee:
Garnell Whitfield Jr. he tells U.S. lawmakers that his mother’s life mattered
Garnell Whitfield Jr., 86-year-old Ruth’s mother, was the eldest of 10 people killed in the massacre in Buffalo, New York, and told the Senate Judiciary Committee that her mother’s life mattered. “Your actions here today will tell us how much you care,” he said.
“My mother’s life mattered,” Whitfield said. “Your actions here will tell us if you care and how much.”
Tuesday’s hearing focused on the ideology that authorities say motivated the young accused to drive for 10 hours to a predominantly black neighborhood, put on military equipment and broadcast the shootings live.
“What are you doing? You were chosen to protect us,” Whitfield said during his emotional testimony.
“Is there anything you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires?” he asked.
“If there is nothing, then respectfully, senators, you should cede your positions of authority and influence to others who are willing to lead this issue.”