Not surprisingly, the arms debate is rocking the United States again. In a sign of tensions in the country over the matter, the Republican governor of Texas was insulted in the middle of a news conference on Wednesday by his Democratic rival, who blamed him for the Uvalde school murder.
Conservative Greg Abbott, known for being a staunch supporter of gun ownership, had just recounted how an 18-year-old who “had evil in his heart” shot his grandmother before surrendering at school. where he killed 21 people. He was shot dead by the police after his massacre.
“It was totally predictable”
Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who will face him in the next gubernatorial election next November, got up and walked to the stage where Greg Abbott was sitting, surrounded by a cloud of officials including Republican and gun-friendly Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. “They say it was unpredictable, it was absolutely predictable from the moment you decided not to do anything,” said the 49-year-old Democrat. Before throwing a scathing remark at his opponent: “It’s your fault! »
‘You’re not doing anything, it was totally predictable’: Democrat interrupts Republican governor at news conference on Texas school shootings pic.twitter.com/DiKcid6b3V
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Greg Abbott remained unmoved, but the appearance of his rival caused a moment of confusion and suspense. The Democrat, in turn, was vehemently accused of “falling overboard” before being escorted to the exit by police. “You’re a bloody asshole to come to an event like this to make it a political issue,” exclaimed Uvalde Republican Mayor Don McLaughlin. “Now is the time. Literally now, ‘on the contrary,'” the Democrat assured journalists from the auditorium.
“Stop selling guns”
Since the 2019 killing by a far-right gunman in a supermarket in his hometown of El Paso, Beto O’Rourke has made fighting guns one of his major political trademarks. “Why are we allowing this in this country? Why does this happen year after year, city after city, in this state? ‘ asked the Democrat, a former lead candidate for the 2020 presidential election.
“Do you want a solution? Stop selling AR-15s (semi-automatic rifles) in Texas. want a solution Implement background checks” for all gun deals, he added. In the United States, school shootings are a recurring scourge against which successive governments have been powerless.
The debate over gun regulation in the country has all but stalled amid a lack of hope that Congress will pass an ambitious national law on the issue.