Uvaldi, Texas, used to legal hunting with guns… Controversial opinion after the disaster
In Uvaldi, Texas, conflicting opinions have erupted over the tightening of gun regulations after an elementary school shooting that took the lives of 21 people.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 28th (local time), in the small town of UvalD, opinions that gun control should be strengthened after the massacre on the 24th are divided and that individuals should own and protect themselves.
Texas has the highest rate of gun ownership in the United States.
As of 2021, a total of 1,06,555 guns are licensed in Texas, and 45.7% of adults living in Texas have a firearm at home.
Uvaldi residents are particularly familiar with guns.
There is an atmosphere where children spend their childhood hunting and shooting, and some residents are known to own several firearms to protect themselves.
However, after this massacre, public opinion on UvalD has changed.
There are no loud protests and marches demanding gun control, but there are discussions about gun control in homes and prayer groups.
Garsa Desirae, who lost her 10-year-old nephew in the tragedy, criticized that purchasing a gun is too easy, saying, “Even if[the 18-year-old shooter]can’t buy beer, he can buy the AR-15 (semi-automatic assault rifle used in the crime).” did.
On the other hand, his father, Alfred Garsa, expressed a mixed opinion.
He said he was considering buying a holster so he could now carry the pistol he had left in his truck or at home.
“After going through what happened (my daughter was murdered), I don’t think it’s bad to carry a gun,” he said.
Texas politicians have rejected calls for tighter regulations.
Republicans, including leading gun proponent Governor Greg Abbott, have sided with improving school security and mental health counseling instead of tightening gun controls.
The political leader of the family of the victims of the Uvaldi disaster hopes to follow the lead of six other states, raising the age for purchasing semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21.
Some people were advocates of gun possession, but the tragedy has changed their minds.
Javier Casares, who lost his daughter in the disaster, has long fully supported the Second Amendment, which allowed him to learn to use a semi-automatic rifle at the age of 18.
However, Cassares turned to the position of “buying a weapon at the age of 18 is nonsense,” referring to the deaths of her daughter and her daughter’s fourth graders.
Kendall White, who works as a guide for hunting travelers at UvalD, has maintained that he will not give up his right to legally hunt. said
/yunhap news
