Xavier Lopez, 10
Amerie Jo Garza, 10
Annabelle Rodriguez, 10
Jackie Cazares, 10
Those are just a few of the names of the victims of the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Last week, my colleague, Senator LaTonya Johnson mentioned another name, ten-year-old Sierra Guyton, who was caught in a crossfire on an elementary school playground here in Wisconsin in 2008. The saddest part is, these five names are only a fraction of the thousands of innocent children who have needlessly lost their lives to gun violence. In 2021 alone there were at least 202 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 49 deaths.
Is someone’s desire to avoid background checks more important than the lives of the children in Uvalde? Is someone’s desire to carry around a semi-automatic assault rifle more important than the grief these parents will carry with them for the rest of their lives?
My Democratic colleagues and I are willing to do anything to prevent these senseless and tragic incidents. Time and time again, our Republican colleagues have refused to consider taking any meaningful action. I know the Governor is continuing to try to find common ground with them on common-sense measures to protect the public. Let’s hope that this time, things are different.
